In Another Realm
by Winter Rose2
Summary: What would it be like if the animes we watched had animes, and they were OUR lives! Just sayin' I'm the worst at summaries... But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this! I don't think you'll be disappointed... *smirk*
1. Spring Break in Nevada

_Scarlet's POV_

Forever stuck in Ohio. That's exactly how I saw my future. Mrs. Shampoli, my English teacher, had assigned everyone to write a three-paragraph essay on how we saw our lives as we got older. Nothing really came to mind. Well, nothing but anime. My thoughts of _Soul Eater_ were impenetrable. I honestly dreamed of finding out Death City was real, and that I was a weapon. To live in Death City, and attend the DWMA. To meet Maka Albarn, Soul Evans, and everyone else. And to become a Death Scythe. How happy I'd be! But everyone said that place was _far_ from real. Yet I intended to somehow find it.

"Miss Realm?" Mrs. Shampoli called to me. Something in her voice made me think she'd been calling my name for a little while.

"Yes?"

"I suggest you begin that essay."

"I would. But…"

"'But' what?"

"I'm not sure how I see my future."

She sighed and came to the back of the class where I sat.  
"Now, you know I usually don't do this, but I'll give you 'til the end of spring break to finish the essay."

"For real?" Mrs. Shampoli nodded "Oh, thanks!"

Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of class. I collected my things and met my best friend at our lockers. Cody's was right next to mine, which is how we became friends. Well, that and I saw his _Soul Eater _drawings and posters inside his locker door.

"Hey. Shampoli give you extra time?" he asked, combing his pale blonde hair with his fingers. Sometimes, it was like Cody was psychic.

"Yeah, until the end of spring break."

"That's great, Hiiro."

I nodded my head. See, I pretty much have two names; my birth name, Scarlet Realm, and the name that I most often go by, Hiiro Rerumu. My nickname is just Japanese for Scarlet and Realm. I slung my bag over my shoulder and started walking. Cody followed, we both rode the bus.

"You know what I wish?" I said to him, pulling out a dollar for the bus.

"What? For the land of Death City to be real?" he asked as we neared the bus to our neighborhood.

"Of course not. I _know_ Death City is real."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

I fed my dollar to the machine and took a seat in the back.

"You will see it." I told him, spreading my legs across the seat. Not many people ride my bus, and those who do don't sit in the back.

"How so?" Cody said, intrigued.

"I already got permission from my folks. _I'm _spending my spring break in Nevada."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

_Maka's POV_

"Soul, would ya turn off that dumb show and clean up around here?" I said to my weapon partner.

"_Realm_ is not dumb, Maka. It's a pretty cool anime." He told me.

"What's so cool about it?"

"I dunno. I just like it. I find it exciting."

"You only like that one girl on the anime, What's-Her-Face." I grumbled, standing in front of the TV.

"So what? And her name is Hiiro Rerumu."

"So what is that she isn't real. You need to come back to reality and do something."

"Maybe she is real."

"_Maybe_? Soul, do you hear yourself?"

"Loud and clear."

I switched off the TV and placed my hands on my hips. Soul stood up and crossed his arms, clearly annoyed.

"Okay tell me five amazing things about Hiiro." I demanded.

"Fine. One: Hiiro's a brunette. I love brunettes. Two: She's a kick-ass fighter. Three: She has amazing aim. Four: Hiiro has cute little red glasses. And five: I just think she's really cool." Soul answered.

"That last one doesn't count." I told him matter-of-factly.

"Alright then, five: Hiiro's pretty and has bigger boobs than you do."

My face was burning red. Steam was practically coming out of my ears. I grabbed the nearest book and slammed the spine into Soul's skull. He fell backwards onto the couch and clutched the top of his head.

"Ow! That freakin' hurt!" Soul whined.

"It was meant to!" I yelled angrily.

He groaned and rubbed his head. "Maka, just lemme watch a few more episodes of _Realm _and I'll go out for a walk."

"Okay, only three more."

"Deal. But you have to come with instead of reading a book."

"Ugh, fine…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

_Scarlet's POV_

I mentally went over all that I was packing for my trip to Nevada, while actually packing. Everything was crammed into a single backpack for light travel. I hadn't told my parents, but I was going out on foot to find Death City.

_Clothes, a first-aid kit, flip-flops, my five hundred dollars, contacts case, glasses case, sketch pads, colored pencils, regular pencils, notebook, journals, iPod, headphones, and… What am I forgetting? Of course! Travel snacks!_

Yes, I wear contacts. But they weren't for seeing, because I only need my glasses for reading or just when I felt like wearing them. My contacts were to make my eyes look amethyst-purple. All my stuff was crammed into the backpack, and it wasn't completely bulging. I'd be there in a day by airplane, so I would have as much time as possible to explore. My cell phone and plane ticket were obviously necessities, and I stuffed them into the front pocket of my red skinny jeans. Slipping my feet into my black hi-tops, I tied them up and ran downstairs, my pack in hand. Mom and Dad were waiting for me outside in the car, and I pulled on my grey hoodie over my black t-shirt and zipped it halfway. I slung the backpack over my shoulders and pulled my bunny hood out from underneath. By bunny hood, I mean on the hood were two bunny ears. One was straight, the other was bent a little. I hopped into the backseat and we drove off to the airport.

**On the Plane**

We weren't due to leave for another ten minutes, so I pulled out my phone and texted Cody.

**Hey, Cody. On the plane now! ~ 3Amethyst**

**Gr8! i'm attempting to tlk my 'rents into letting me g2 nevada for a week. ~ Kuro-Fire**

**Good luck with that! ~ 3Amethyst**

**Ikr… txt me when you land. ~ Kuro-Fire**

**Will do. G2g, l8er. ~ 3Amethyst**

**Bye, Hiiro. ~ Kuro-Fire**

I turned off my phone and put it back in my pocket. There was nobody for me to share my set of seats with, so my backpack sat next to me. I dug out my iPod and purple headphones and cued the music. AFI's _Prelude 12/21_ rang through my ears as I gazed out the window and saw the plane taking off into the air.

_**A/N…**_

_**Hey, guys! So what did ya think? Tell me how I did in the box down below! This is my very fist published fanfic ever! I hope its okay. See, now do you get the name of the title? I hope, 'cause I don't wanna sit here and explain it! Well, that's it, fanfictioners. (yes, I know that's not a word, but whatever)**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	2. Blades

An hour or so after I landed, I took a bus down to Death Valley. If Death City was going to be in any desert, which it was, it was going to be here. But Death Valley was so vast and large; it would take hours to reach its end. So, Death City, I estimated, would probably be in the near middle. So I started walking. And walking. And walking. And I kept walking. For a few seconds. This turned into minutes. And minutes to hours. Four, I think. Finally, I think I was sure I'd never find the city.

So, then, after about four hours of walking through sand, my sore feet hit a cobblestone path. I looked up to see an entire city connected to it. Just about all of its residents were inside for the night. I figured there had to a motel of some sorts somewhere, and kept walking. Street after street, and stone after stone. Not a single motel. Something about the city seemed familiar, too. Still, I was sure this was not the notorious Death City.

So, after I started thinking I was walking in circles, I felt like I was being watched. I pulled my hood over my head and walked of a set of steps carved into the street. Then, a small pebble skipped across down an alley and stopped at my feet. A shadow emerged from the same alley. I gasped and ran in the opposite direction. It was a rational instinct. Running seemed to be my only option, since I didn't carry a weapon.

A sharp turn down another street and I was sure I was safe. But then, I noticed I was back at the steps.

"Damn…" I muttered to myself.

Just then, a purple mass dropped down from the sky in front of me. It seemed to have black beads for eyes and no nose. There were lips as red as cheap Halloween lipstick, and spidery fingers. The thing had long nails with dirt caked under them. It smiled seductively at me.

I took a step backward and almost fell down the steps. Purple-Whatever lunged at me and I held up my arms in defense. There was a scream and I felt a slight tap on my arms. I opened my eyes to see Purple-Whatever's hands were gone from the wrist down. It screamed again, its mouth dripping with saliva. The hands were down at my feet.

Suddenly, I noticed a more metallic purple coming from my forearms.

"Blades?!" I shouted.

_Blades _were sticking out of my arms! At first, I thought I had been stabbed. Then I realized there was no blood, besides the purple thing's, and no pain. No, they were coming _from my skin_. I didn't question it as the purple thing stood back up again. It growled and lunged for me again as I launched myself backwards. Luckily, my feet landed correctly on the ground. Purple-Whatever ran at me as I stepped sideways. This time, _I _ran at _it_. And I fought. I wasn't going to die. But then, I realized something.

"Kishin! Oh, God, it's a kishin!"

It took me a little while to actually realize it, and grasp the fact that I _was _truly in Death City. And it shocked me. But it made me want to fight it more. No, it made me want to _kill _it.

I swung at the purple kishin many times, and landed a few scratches and cuts. _Kill the kishin! Kill it! _was all I was thinking. I finally I got fed up with getting almost nothing out of it. So, I kneed it in the chin as I brought my blades- _my_ blades!- down and sliced its arms off. Without caring, or thinking, I used both my blades to decapitate the kishin. The purple morphed into black bandages, which fell to the ground. A red orb floated above the bandages. I willed my metallic purple blades to retract, and grabbed the orb.

"A kishin egg…" I said under my breath.

Smiling, I crammed the soul down my throat. It sort of tasted like… chocolate-dipped strawberries. It all felt so surreal. Then I thought, _Crap, I'm dreaming._

"Only one way to find out." I told myself.

My arm became part blade again, and I held it up to my other hand. Just as I was about to prick my thumb, I heard someone shouting at me. As I turned to see who it was, I lost my hold on the blade part of my arm, and it cut deep into my chest.

I cried out in pain and sank to my knees. My arm became normal again, and I saw blood streaming from my chest. My t-shirt was torn and I just barely missed my hoodie. Footsteps were coming toward me, my first thought was to run. But I couldn't. Someone hoisted me to my feet and pulled my arm around their shoulders. The second person handed me a balled up cloth and told me to hold it against my cut.

"Who are you?" a voice asked.

They sounded female, not far from my own age. But I wasn't about to give away my identity to a couple of strangers.

"Ah, Hiiro… Who-who are y-you?" I stuttered.

"Maka. My name is Maka." The girl said.

I stopped breathing for a few seconds. Maka. Maka Albarn? There was no way! They helped me walked up to the steps and sat me back down. Through blurry eyes, I saw blonde hair on the girl. And then, white spiky hair on the other person. Soul Evans had to be the other. I stared at them, dazed.

"Maka, her eyes are purple!" The one who I thought to be Soul said.

_I thought I took my contacts out before I left…_ I thought.

"Yes, and you're eyes are red." I guessed.

I could still barely see. They didn't seem to hear what I had said.

"So what, Soul?"

"Well, she said her name was Hiiro. And on _Realm _her eyes are purple."

Did I hear him correctly? _Realm_? What on Earth was that? Besides my last name. I sat there, watching the two of them talk.

"Oh, come _on_! You don't seriously think this is Hiiro Rerumu for that stupid anime." Maka said. And I'm sure she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, actually I do." Soul told her.

What? Hiiro _Rerumu_? Okay, too weird. I was sure I was dreaming, then.

"Doesn't matter, let's just get her back to the apartment and get her cleaned up."

"Good idea, Maka."

**At the Apartment**

_Maka's POV_

I had automatically regretted bringing Hiiro back to the apartment. Her wound kept bleeding, even through the bandages we had put around her chest. They had to be changed several times whenever the blood completely soaked through. Finally, when Hiiro stopped bleeding and she came out of the bathroom wearing only the binding around her chest and her red jeans, I noticed the bandages did not suppress her cleavage any. Soul didn't seem to mind, even though his nose kept gushing blood. Blair wasn't home either, which was good. All in all, though, Hiiro was okay.

"So, ya wanna tell us how ya got here? Like, from wherever it is you're from." I asked Hiiro.

"Huh? Oh, I got to Nevada by plane and took a bus down to Death Valley. From there, I went by foot to find this place. Well, Death City in general." she told us.

"So, you're saying you hiked more than three _hours_ just to find a city?"

"Uh, yeah pretty much. I mean, I dreamt of finding this city for years! And everyone told me Death City wasn't real, it was just some place in an anime. Even Cody- Oh, crap! Cody!"

Just then, she ran over to her backpack and pulled out her cell phone. She punched in a few numbers and snapped it shut, then slid it into her pocket.

"Who's Cody?" Soul asked her casually.

"My best friend. I told him I'd text him after I landed, but I forgot. And now that I've found Death City, it was even more important for me to do so." Hiiro told him.

I cut in. "Wait, back up a bit. What anime? Death City's not in any anime. Is it Soul?"

He shook his head, and we both looked at Hiiro.

"Um, yes it is. _Soul Eater_. You guys star in it."

"No we don't."

"Yeah, ya do. I can prove it."

"Then do it."

"Gladly. You're Maka Albarn, you're mother is-or was- Kami Albarn, and you're father is Spirit 'Death Scythe' Albarn. You're parents got divorced because your father was cheating on your mother. You aim to be one the most powerful meisters in the DWMA and turn Soul Evans into a death scythe. You're other best friend is Crona, Lady Medusa's son. She infected him with black blood by melting the demon sword Ragnorak into him. And you're an honors student."

She then turned to Soul. "You're Soul Evans, a scythe weapon. You were tired of living up to your family of musicians and that's why you live with Maka. You love to be called cool, and you are in my opinion. You're goal is to be one of the greatest death scythes of all time. You're best friend is Black Star, who's partner is Tsubaki. You came close to becoming a death scythe just two years ago, but failed due to the fact that Blair was mistaken for a witch even though she is truly, quote on quote, "a cat with a ridiculous amount of magical power."

"You're other friend is Death the Kid, or just Kid, who is, as son of Lord Death, a grim reaper. He has OCD for symmetry and his weapons are twin pistols Liz and Patty Thompson. I could tell you so much more, but that'd take hours. Happy know?" she finished matter-of-factly.

Soul and I stared at each other, speechless. There was _no way _Hiiro could know all that. So I took it to heart, in a way. I decided I'd keep an eye on her for a while.

_Hiiro's POV_

Maka had lent me a purple t-shirt and black pajama pants for the night. For an apartment, they had nice space. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a kitchen and living room of course. The third room was to be mine for the time I was staying there.

There was a soft knock on the door. I sat up quickly and turned on the small lamp on the table.

"Yeah?" I called to the other side.

The door opened and a little bit more light poured through the doorway. A silhouetted figure stepped into my room and quietly shut the door. It was Soul.

"What do you want?" I asked him tiredly.

"I know things about you too." He told me, taking a seat on top the desk in the corner.

"Like…" I said to him.

"Like you're from Columbus, Ohio. You attend Wintersgrove Junior High."

"Way too easy to find out."

"Okay, you're favorite color is purple, and sometimes you wear glasses. Red frames. You play some guitar, acoustic to be exact. Cole Shilet is your best friend, and you do just about everything together. You feel like you can't live without music and writing. You're dream is to become a horror-story author."

I pretended not to be interested, but I kind of was.

"Anything else?" I questioned boredly.

Soul sighed and leaned back on his hands. "Fine. When you were nine, you used to harm yourself."

My eyes widened. "How?"

"You slit your wrists…" he said shyly.

I meant how he knew that. There was no way that anyone besides my parents and grandmother would know that. Yet Soul did. I rubbed my temples, attempting to suppress the aching memories.

"Is there anything else you know about me? Anything at all?" I asked him.

"Ah… Actually, yes."

"And what would that be?"

Soul let out a long breath. "Sometimes when you get a little crazy or mad or upset…" he trailed off.

I knew where he was going. And it sort of scared me. Because only I knew about it. Not Mom or Dad or my grandma, or even Cole. Not my doctor. Just me.

"Say it." I said sternly.

"I… I don't-"

"Say it, Soul!" I said a little louder.

"Okay!" he sighed again. "Why you cut, was because you felt neglected and hurt. After the first time… you were fascinated with seeing this uniqueness of your blood. So you kept cutting."

"And why… why was my blood unique?" I pressed on.

"Because… because your blood can turn black."


	3. Inside my Soul

Spirit barged into the Death Room with news.

"Lord Death?" he called.

"Yes, Death Scythe?"

"The kishin Salancov? He's dead."

"Oh! That's great news! Who collected the soul?"

Spirit sighed. "Lord Death, that's the problem. Not one student had signed up for that mission."

"Ah, I see."

Lord Death walked over to his mirror, and Spirit followed. They gazed at their reflections, then the mirror swapped their reflections for another scene. A young girl with long brown hair down to her hips was in partial weapon form, blades coming out of her arms. They saw her slash off the kishin's arms, then his head, and she ate the kishin egg. The scene changed again to the same girl at an apartment. Maka was there, talking to the mysterious brunette, as was Soul. The mirror went close up to the girl's face, revealing her purple eyes and solemn expression.

"Well, Death Scythe. It looks like we have a new student in our midst."

_Hiiro's POV_

"Hiiro, are you awake?" Maka's voice came.

I opened my eyes. I'd been up for hours, actually. I just didn't feel like getting up, I never do.

"Yeah. I'll be out in a sec." I responded.

"Okay."

She walked away from the door, and I got out of the bed. Once I dug through my backpack, I found my red glasses and put them on. Pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I found my way to Maka's bathroom. I stared into the mirror stupidly. My eyes were purple. Amethyst purple like my contacts. I _knew _I had taken out my contacts the night before.

And then I thought, _Wait a second. I'm in Death City. I'm in Soul Evans and Maka Albarn's apartment. I'm a weapon. And I'm _not_ dreaming!_

Upon discovering that, I then thought, _Maybe when I crossed into Death City, my eyes turned purple._

Yes, it was crazy. But at this point anything could be possible. So, I splashed some cold water on my face and put my glasses back on. I went back out of the bathroom and sat down at the table across from Soul. He smiled at me and I almost melted. Because I never thought I'd see that sharp-toothed grin personally, let alone have it be directed for me. So, instead I just smiled back.

"You hungry?" Maka asked.

"I'm always hungry!" Soul said.

Maka slapped his arm. "Not you, you idiot! I meant Hiiro."

I let out a laugh and nodded my head. "A little, yes."

She smiled and handed me a bowl, a jug of milk and a box of cereal. "It's not much, but it's filling."

I smiled back and poured my cereal and milk and ate quickly. It was Saturday, so they didn't have to go to school. I was positive they didn't have spring break.

"Hiiro, would you like a tour of the city?" Maka said as she tapped my shoulder.

"Sure. Can we tour the academy?" I replied.

She smiled. "Of course! Maybe you can sign up for a few classes as long as you're here."

I smiled widely. "That'd be great!"

I finished my breakfast and got dressed. A plain blue sweater that just barely showed my shoulders, white mini-skirt, blue and black striped knee highs, and black converse. I left my hair down and braided a small piece of my hair on the left. My bangs were left to hang down in my right eye, because I didn't have a clip. I met Soul and Maka in the living room, ready to see Death City.

**At the DWMA**

Just as I thought, there were many steps to take in order to actually get to the academy. But I was excited, so I took those steps without complaint. At the entrance to the academy, I took a deep breath and followed Maka and Soul inside. There were many hallways and stairways to the point where someone could probably go crazy trying to find their way out. I saw Maka going up one stairwell, so I followed.

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"The Death Room, where you'll meet Lord Death." She told me.

"Really? Sweet." I replied, trying to hide my excitement.

After about ten minutes, the three of us were walking down a hall of guillotines. At the end of the hall was a large red door with shiny brass knob. Maka turned the knob, opened the door, and poked her head in the room.

"Lord Death?" she called.

"Hello, Maka! Come in, come in!" a goofy voice answered.

I knew that voice. I knew who belonged to the voice. We walked in, just like the voice said. Inside I saw a tall, cloaked figure. His cloak was torn and jutted out in ways that couldn't possibly follow the laws of physics. He wore a cartoonish skull mask. It was, in fact, Lord Death.

"Hello, Soul! Hi ya, how ya doing?" he said, waving his giant hand.

I giggled.

"Lord Death, sir. This is-" Maka started.

"I know who she is. She killed the kishin Salancov. Hi, Hiiro."

I blinked a couple times. _How did he know that? He ju- Wait, he used his mirror!_ _Of course!_

"He-hello Lord Death." I said shakily.

"I've been waiting to meet you!"

"You _have_?"

"Yes. I understand you just found out you're a weapon last night, at the most ironic time, too."

"Yeah. I'm not completely sure what I am exactly."

"Oh, well, why don't we find out?"

"Uh… okay."

"Good! Now, Maka, if you wouldn't mind."

She smiled and nodded her head. As she turned towards me, I turned myself into my weapon form. It turns out, I was a scythe, double-blade. My blades were purple, and my handle was silver with bandages wrapped around the middle. I thought I looked pretty awesome. So, I turned back into a human, smiling at Maka.

"Cool, you're a scythe like me." Soul said.

I smiled at him and nodded my head. I wanted to see my soul, badly. So I asked Lord Death if I could.

"Sure thing! Just look into the mirror."

So I did. Everything and everyone in the Death Room disappeared and was replaced with blackness. Even I faded away. In my place was violet orb. It was, apparently my soul. But something about it seemed off.


	4. New Necklace

I checked my phone frequently, but there was not a single message from Cody. I was starting to worry, though I knew he was alright. For two days I'd been in Death City, and for two days I'd missed my best friend. I hadn't said anything about it to Soul or Maka; I didn't want to worry them. But I wanted to tell them everything about my life. I wanted to get to know them better. I wanted to just be their friend. Forever.

Maka and I were getting close, too. She was starting to be my best friend, since it appeared Cody was ignoring me. I signed up for a couple classes for the time I'd be there like she suggested. Obviously, classes hadn't started yet because it was only Sunday. I still hadn't met Black Star and Tsubaki and Kid and Liz and Patty. But it didn't bother me.

"Soul?" I asked.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"How long do you think I should stay?"

He turned to me and cocked his head. "What do ya mean?"

"Like, how long should I stay here, in Death City?"

He thought for a moment. "As long as possible."

A blush crept onto my face and I smiled. "Okay."

Soul smiled back at me. Maka came in and sat next to me.

"I agree with Soul." She told me.

My smile widened and I thanked her. "So what should we do today?" I asked them.

"I dunno. What do you wanna do?"

"I kinda wanted to go shopping…"

Soul laughed. "Okay, there's no way I'm going _shopping_!"

"I didn't say we _had to_. That's just I wanna do."

"Well, I'll take her shopping, and you can go hang out with Black Star." Maka said.

"Yeah, and then we'll meet you later." I agreed.

"Okay. Sounds good."

So that was the plan. Maka and I would go shopping and meet up with Soul later at a diner.

**At the Store**

"I like it." Maka told me.

We were at jewelry store, and I was looking at necklaces. I had found a silver chain with a purple soul charm. It resembled mine in a way.

"Yeah me too."

"Then get it."

"I will."

I paid for it at the counter and placed it around my neck. My first souvenir from Death City. And it was absolutely perfect.

We left the store and went to the clothing store next door. We browsed around for a little, pulling out t-shirts and jeans and dresses and skirts we thought were cute or pretty. Nothing really popped out at either us. So Maka and I went to the back and kept looking.

"I think we should spend, like, ten more minutes tops here, and then go meet up with Soul." Maka suggested.

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yeah, sounds good."

So we kept looking a little. Finally, a purple fabric caught my eye. I went over to the rack and grabbed it. It fell of the hanger, and revealed itself to be a jacket. The jacket was really cute; the sleeves went to my elbows and the collar popped up. On the right breast was Lord Death's mask printed on it and the initials D.C. in black. I turned it around and Death City was printed neatly between the shoulder blades, and a larger version of Lord Death's skull underneath.

"Hey, Maka. Look at this." I said to her.

She looked over my shoulder, and I could feel her breath on my neck and behind my ears. I felt her smiling.

"That's really cute! Are you gonna get it?" she asked,

"Yeah, of course!"

So I did. We walked out the door and I fished the jacket out of the bag to put it on. Slipping it over my shoulders, I heard a voice shout "Watch out!"

But of course, I didn't, since I was a little pre-occupied. So, whoever had told me to watch out ran into me and I fell flat on my butt. My new jacket slipped off my shoulders and fell round my wrists. I shook my head to clear it and clutched my scalp.

"Hiiro, are you okay?" Maka called.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Hey, I'm sorry." A new voice said.

I saw a pale hand reaching out to me, and it wasn't Maka because she wasn't wearing a black suit. I took the hand and whoever it was pulled me to my feet. As I pulled my jacket back over my shoulders, I shook my head again.

"Really, I'm sorry." the person said again.

"Nah, I'm alright." I told them.

Finally, I looked at them. And I was a little shocked. It was Death the Kid. As I was wondering how he had knocked me down, he kicked a skateboard into his hands.

"Maka, who's this?" he asked.

"This is Hiiro. Soul and I ran into her a couple nights ago. But not like you just did!" she told him.

We all laughed. He reached out to me again, to shake my hand.

"I'm Death the Kid. Nice to meet you Hiiro." he said.

"Hi." I turned to Maka, who was looking at me like she was waiting for something, probably for me to blurt out random facts about him. "Maka, we should probably go meet Soul."

"Yeah, let's go. See ya later, Kid!"

"Bye, Maka, bye Hiiro." Kid said.

I waved goodbye to him, and Maka and I walked away in the other direction.

**At the Diner**

"Over here, girls." Soul called to us from the corner.

Maka and I walked over and sat next to him. We told him about the stores we went to and asked him what he did with Black Star. For a moment he went blank, then he smiled and gave us a thumbs up.

"It was cool."

I nodded my head and smiled back. The waiter came by and asked us what we wanted.

"A burger, fries, and a diet coke." I told him.

"Grilled cheese and a sprite." Maka said.

"Same as her." Soul answered, jerking his thumb at me.

The waiter nodded and left. As we waited for our food, I absent mindedly played with the soul-charm on my new necklace.

"Is that new?" Soul asked.

"The necklace?"

"Yeah."

"Uh-huh."

"I like it. It looks like your soul."

I smiled. "I think that's the point."

We laughed and Maka smiled and giggle slightly. Our food arrived and we all dove right in.

**Earlier That Day**

_Soul's POV_

I entered the Death Room and walked up to Lord Death.

"Lord Death, sir?" I called.

"Oh, hello Soul! Thanks for coming." he responded.

"What did you need?" I asked.

Yesterday, after we introduced Hiiro to Lord Death, he asked me to stay behind, and said to come see him the next day.

"Ah, yes. I need you to watch over Hiiro for me." he answered.

"What, why?"

"Well, I just think she might need some help."

I wondered what she'd need help with, besides finding a meister, but didn't say anything. I just nodded my head.

"Good, thank you, Soul."

"Welcome, Lord Death. See you tomorrow at school."

"Okay, bye!"

With that, I left.

**Later at Home**

After Hiiro went to bed, I pulled Maka into the living room.

"Maka, I have to tell you something."

"What is it, Soul? I'm tired."

"Today, I didn't go to hang out with Black Star."

"What? Why did you lie to me?" she demanded, angrily.

"I had to. Yesterday, when Lord Death told me he needed to talk to me, he said I had to go see him today."

"Okay, and?"

"And he told me I need to watch over Hiiro."

Maka looked at me intently. "Why would you need to do that?"

"I don't know. But Lord Death is never wrong."

"That's true. So, do it."

I looked away for a second, then back at her. "I planned on it."


	5. I Missed You

_Hiiro's POV_

The sun leaked through the blinds and I knew it was time for me to get up. I had lain awake for hours, rubbing the charm of my necklace, trying to focus and fall back asleep. But it was useless. After Cody had finally responded to my messages, I was too excited for sleep. Here's how it went:

I was asleep when my phone went off. I checked it and it was a text from Cody. The text read:

**hey, scarlet. im on my way to nevada right now. i'll meet u in death valley when you say. i'll be staying at the hotel just outside the desert. i miss u, really. ~Kuro-Fire**

My heart pounded in my chest, and a smile spread across my face. Cody was here and he was going to meet Soul and Maka. This was perfect.

So I got up and got dressed. As I was pulling on my second knee high, someone knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" I called.

"Hey, Hiiro. Hurry up so you can eat breakfast before school." Maka said through the door.

I grabbed my converse and set them by the couch as I walked to the bathroom. Rushing to brush my teeth and comb my hair, I made sure I had braided the piece of hair that I thought looked really cute. There was a bowl of cereal and small plate with a slice of toast sitting out for me at the table. I sat down and ate my breakfast.

"So, guys," I started "Cody texted me last night… and he wants to meet me out in Death Valley." I told them.

"When?" Maka said, literally just as I finished my sentence.

"Whenever today. So I'll do it after my classes."

"Okay. It'd be best to do it then, probably just leave right after school."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking."

I finished my breakfast, slipped my shoes on, and then laced them up. Maka finished tying her hair in her pigtails and Soul pulled his jacket on. We were ready to go. I grabbed my new jacket and the three of us left.

**In Class**

I followed Maka and Soul into the classroom and sat down between them. I heard Kid behind me talking to someone, and turned around to say hi.

"Hello, Hiiro. I didn't expect to see you here." he said.

"Yeah, I signed up for a couple classes."

"Neat. This is Liz and Patty, my weapons."

"Hi." Liz, the one with longer blonde hair, said.

"Hey." I answered.

"Hi! Nice to meet you! I like giraffes!" the other, Patty, said.

I giggled and nodded my head. "That's great."

She smiled at me and I turned back around. I heard Patty say that she liked me, and Liz told her, "Good for you, you've made a new friend."

As I looked around the room casually, I noticed there weren't that many people, but just enough to make a whole and complete class. I looked over at Soul, and saw Black Star on the other side of him. He tapped Soul on the shoulder, and I looked down at my lap.

"Soul, who's that girl?" Black Star asked, and I was sure he meant me.

"That's Hiiro." Soul answered.

"Where'd she come from?"

"Um, she's from Ohio."

"Okay, but I meant where'd you and Maka, like, meet her?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Black Star was looking at me.

"Oh, uh, she's, um, well we just met her a few days ago."

"Why is she following you guys around then?"

I whipped my head up and looked at him. "You know, you ask a lot of questions."

He stared at me dumbly and Soul smirked a little. "Well, yeah, I want to know about people in case I need them as a servant."

I raised my eyebrow. "A servant? Really? Wow."

"Yeah. A god like me will sure need 'em!"

"Whatever."

Soul gestured to me and then Black Star. "Hiiro, this is Black Star. Black Star, this is Hiiro."

I waved and he waved back. Everyone turned their attention to the front of the room as someone smacked the teacher's desk. It was Stein. I played with my soul-charm as he turned the giant screw in his head, and told us all to turn to page 364 in our textbooks. I shared with Soul, since I didn't have one.

**After School**

"Later, guys. I'll be back at the apartment when I get Cody." I said to Soul and Maka.

"Okay, bye." Maka said.

Soul looked down for a moment. I turned to leave and he grabbed my arm. "I'll come with you."

"What?" I asked.

"I wanna come with." He repeated.

"Soul I do-"

"Hiiro, I'm coming with."

This time it wasn't a question; it was a statement. There was concern in his eyes for some reason. My eyebrows knitted together and I nodded. We left and Maka went back home.

At the edge of the city, I looked out into the desert. My phone went off, and I checked it. It was a text from Cody.

**Just left, see u soon! ~Kuro-Fire**

**Kks. im on my way now~ 3 Amethyst**

Soul and I trudged through the sand, ready for the heat to beat down on us.

**Halfway**

"Soul?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"Why did you come with me? If I can go all the way through Death Valley alone, I can make it halfway alone."

"I just wanted to."

"No, that's not it, and we both know it."

He fell silent and looked away. I saw a figure in the distance and I squinted my eyes. I could just barely make out the hair and shoulders.

"It's Cody!" I shouted, realizing that nobody else would really be out here.

"Hiiro, wait!" Soul yelled, but I ignored him and started running toward my best friend.

I kept running until I could see him perfectly. Waving my arms, I shouted, "Cody! Hey!"

Cody ran toward me. When he was about two feet away, he dropped his bag, picked me up, and twirled me around.

"Oh my God, hey!" he said.

"Cody, God, I missed you so much."

"Same, here, Scarlet."

I narrowed my eyes and stood on my tiptoes so my lips were next to his ear.

"Cody, I need you to just call me Hiiro. Everyone really thinks that's my name."

He nodded his head, still grinning. I turned around and saw Soul had caught up. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at me and Cody for a moment. It dawned on me that I was still in his arms and mine were still wrapped around his neck. My face flushed red and I let go.

I cleared my throat. "Soul, this is my best friend, Cody Shilet."

Cody stepped forward and extended his hand. Soul grabbed his hand, and shook it.

"Cody. This is Soul." I said, somewhat stiffly.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Soul told him.

"You, too."

We all just stood there in the blistering heat for about two whole minutes. I grabbed Cody's bag and handed it to him. He took it, and smiled at me again.

"Well, boys, let's go."

And so, we made our way back to Death City.


	6. The Dream

"_No! You can't take him!" I screamed._

"_Hiiro, it's okay, I'll be fine." he told me._

"_No! I won't let them take you!"_

_My arms became part weapon and I lunged at the masked men who were taking him away. I was quick and took down the majority of them. But still, three remained standing. Soon, two of the three were dead. Absolutely nothing was going to stand in my way. The last one held his arms, so he couldn't run._

"_Let go of him, _now_!" I shouted._

_The man didn't move. So I ran at him and cut his head off. The now-headless man dropped to the ground and released him. My blades disappeared and he stared at me in awe._

"_I told you I wouldn't let them take you." I said to him._

_He smiled, tears coming to his eyes. I was already crying when I ran to him and hugged him tightly._

"_Hiiro…"_

"_Soul, I don't need you gone. Maka doesn't either."_

"_I know. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left."_

"_That's right! So don't do it again."_

_I released him and suddenly, the ground shook beneath us. I wanted to scream, but I was too afraid. Fear contorted my face and the ground gave way. Just under me. I fell, and gripped the edge of what was now a cliff, holding on for my life._

"_Hiiro!"_

"_Soul! Help!"_

_And then, 'Bring Me to Life' by Evanescence was all I could hear._

"…My spirit sleeping somewhere cold, until you find it there and lead it back home."

"Wake me up-"

"Wake me up inside!"

My eyes flew open, and the song continued to play. I realized my headphones were on, and took them off. The music stopped. I sat up in bed and saw Cody sitting next to me.

"You were having a nightmare."

"I was."

A long time ago, when I used to have nightmares often, Cody and I found out 'Bring Me to Life' woke me up peacefully. So he pulled it up on my iPod, put my headphones around my ears, and played it. Then I woke up. I looked at the time on my phone. It was ten o'clock. Soul and Maka would already be at school. When I signed up for classes, I signed up for every other day. Which I now realize was smart, because I didn't want Cody to be alone.

"Hey, well, morning." Cody said with a slight smile.

"Morning. I'm gonna go take a shower, and we'll have some brunch."

"Okay, sounds good."

I went to Maka's bathroom and undressed. Though Death City was in the middle of a desert, I ran warm water and got in. The water soaked through my brown hair and turned it black, like water does. It felt good trickling down my bare back and shoulders. For a minute or two, I stood there enjoying the feeling. Then I grabbed the shampoo and conditioner and washed my hair. They were strawberry scented. Then I washed my body with vanilla body wash. It was a nice combo.

When I was done, I got out, wrapped myself in a towel, and went back to my room. I decided to wear my black t-shirt and red jeans for the day. I missed my grey bunny hoodie, and added that. It would be my outfit for days I didn't have school; my street clothes. Cole was waiting for me at the table, with two plates set with eggs on them. It smelled delicious. With a smile on my face, I padded across the living room to the kitchen in my socks. When I sat down at the table, I fastened my soul necklace around my neck and started eating.

"New necklace?" Cody asked, looking at my throat.

My hand flew to the charm and I smiled again. "Yeah. It looks like my soul."

"It looks like your soul?" he repeated.

"Yes. My soul. It's purple, just like this one. It has the same shape to it."

"You mean, you've seen you're soul?"

"Uh-huh. I saw it in Lord Death's mirror. Soul and Maka saw it too."

"Really?"

I slammed my hand on the table. "Yes, really! Do you not believe me?"

Cody shook his head. "I do, but it's just- I dunno."

I sighed. "Get dressed, let's go."

"Go where?"

"We're going to see Lord Death. Now, get dressed."

Cody took one last bite of his brunch and went back to our room to change. He came out a little later wearing a green t-shirt, his ripped jeans, and old black sneakers. His hair was brushed, but still messy. Cody's hair is always like that.

**Outside the Death Room**

Cody looked around us at the guillotines above our heads. I smirked and knocked on the giant door with the giant brass knob.

"Come in!" Lord Death's voice came.

So we did. Cody looked astonished at the clouds around the room. He looked a little shocked at the sight of Lord Death, but smiled. I knew that he was thinking that he couldn't believe it, that he was _actually _there.

"Hello, Hiiro! What do you need?" Lord Death asked me.

"Hi, Lord Death. This is my friend Cody. We want to register him as a student. Now, I know that I myself haven't been here long at all. But we wanted to get him in class too."

"Sure, thing! It's no problem at all! Cody, what's your position?"

Cody looked confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

I giggled. "He means meister or weapon."

"Oh. Well, I'm not sure…"

Lord Death raised a giant hand and gestured Cody to the mirror. He followed.

"Look into the mirror. You'll see your soul, and it will either give off the energy of a weapon or the energy of a meister." Lord Death informed Cody.

He did. Just like for me, Lord Death and me, and the room, disappeared and were replaced with darkness. Cody's body faded away and only an orange orb was there.

"Is that…" Cody trailed off.

"It's your soul." I told him.

His soul gave off a faint blue tint. It was the energy. Mine probably did too, but I didn't notice it.

"Yep, you're a meister." Lord Death told him.

I smiled and stood next to him. In the mirror, my purple soul appeared and had a green tint to it. The blue tint meant meister and the green meant weapon. Our souls were still for a moment, then what looked like little purple rain drops came out of mine and floated toward Cody's. Orange blobs that reminded me of daggers danced out of Cody's and toward the rain drops. I wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but I pretty good idea.

_**A/N**_

_**Ooh, what do you think is happening to their souls? It could be a good thing… but it could also be bad!**_

_**Love and bunnies!**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	7. Found My Partner

Lord Death confirmed it. What I thought was happening to mine and Cody's souls were correct. I'd tell Cody later. But I didn't just yet.

We left the Death Room and found our way to the front door. I skipped down the steps with Cody walking behind me. When I reached the bottom, I sat down on the step and Cody sat next to me. We sat quietly for a few minutes, before I had to talk to him.

"So?" I asked.

"So what?"

"So, do you believe me? About the soul thing?"

He smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, I believe you, Scarlet."

I didn't mind him calling me that when it was just us. "Thank you! You know I'd never lie to you."

"Yes, that's true."

It was silent again. Until Cody asked, "What are you?"

"I'm a weapon, thank ya very much."

"What kind?"

I smirked. "Scythe, double blade."

"Oh, awesome!"

I nodded my head. "Yeah! Ya wanna see?"

He looked down. "I dunno if our wavelengths match…"

My smirk turned into a smile. "That reminds m-"

"Hiiro! Hey!" Maka's voice came.

Cody and I turned to see her and Soul coming down the steps to meet us. School was over for them.

_Soul's POV_

Maka and I met Hiiro and Cody at the bottom of the stairs. I had missed her that day, and I had worried just a little. Lord Death told me to protect her, but how could I if I wasn't sure where she was or what she was doing? I thought about it all day and my usually very cool personality was turned down a couple notches to just 'cool'.

Hiiro smiled when she saw us, and Cody waved. I waved back.

"What are you guys doing here?" Maka asked.

"I took Cody to see Lord Death and register him for classes. He has the same schedule as me." Hiiro told us.

Cody nodded his head and smiled. We all started walking back to our apartment. Maka jumped up to Cody and started talking. Cody talked back to her, and soon they were in a conversation about the basics of fighting and kishin hunting etcetera, etcetera. I walked alongside Hiiro in silence. She wore the outfit that I had met her in, with her soul necklace added. I was sure she'd never take that off. The wind blew and she smelled like strawberries dipped in vanilla yogurt.

"So how was school?" Hiiro asked me.

"Boring." I answered.

She cocked her head. "I never would have thought that the DWMA would be boring."

"It is when all Stein teaches is dissection and then some."

She giggled. "Right, that makes sense."

A little more silence. And then Hiiro said, "What's being a weapon like?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I dunno. It's cool to be what kills the kishin, especially in the heat of the battle. But being in weapon form too long can make your back sore. Ask Liz and Patty about it, they're in weapon form just a bit more than I usually am."

She smiled when I said 'cool'. Maybe she liked to be called cool too. Or maybe she thought I was cool, which I totally am. There's no doubt about that.

"Okay. I think I'll have to start training or something, to get caught up to your and Maka's level."

"We're not that high up, you know."

"Yeah, but you guys are higher than me."

"Yeah, true."

When we arrived back home, the door was open a crack. Hiiro and Cody both swore they closed it tight, and locked it. That could only mean one thing. Maka and I glanced at each other and walked in hesitantly. Sure enough, I was glomped by an all too familiar woman.

"Soul! You're back! I've missed you so much!"

Blair pulled me away from her chest (I had gotten a nosebleed for being so close to) and looked me over. Then she looked behind me and narrowed her eyes. Blair threw me aside casually and walked up to Hiiro.

"And who are you?" she asked rudely.

Hiiro rolled her eyes. "I'm Hiiro Rerumu. Didn't you get the memo, kitten? I live here."

Maka, Cody and I burst out laughing. Blair mewed and left. Hiiro smiled to herself and went to the kitchen. She grabbed a can of soda from the fridge, sat down at the table, and popped it open.

"Well that escalated quickly." I said to Maka.

"I know, right. It was pretty funny."

"Yeah, that's Hiiro for ya." Cody spoke.

_Hiiro's POV_

I thought about it. When the time was to tell Cody. Finally, it was clear when I should have told him. Soul and Maka had gone to bed, and it was just Cody and I in our room. I knew he was half asleep, but I had to tell him. I got out of my bed and crept over to his bed. Sitting down next to him, I whispered his name.

"Cody. Wake up."

"Wha…" he mumbled.

Cody sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Hiiro, what?"

I smiled. "Hey. You know what was going on with our souls earlier?"

He nodded his head.

"Yeah, well, that was our wavelengths. Connecting."

He smiled too. "Really?"

"Yes."

"So… that means…"

"We can be _partners_."

He sat up and hugged me. I hugged him back and giggled. We parted and I went back to my bed.

"Hiiro, this is awesome!"

"I know. We start classes tomorrow, so go back to sleep."

"Yeah, okay."

I knew Cody had fallen back to sleep about two minutes later. But I laid there, thinking about what would happen tomorrow. And there was so much training that had to be done. Cody needed to get used to wielding a weapon, and he needed to learn how to use one. The next day we would stay after school and talk to Lord Death about lessons and training. Much was required of me and Cody before our first battle.

_**A/N…**_

_**Hey, you guys! I just wanted to say how grateful I am to you guys for reviewing. Just keep on doing that, and the story will progress. Reviews keep the gears turning, and my fingers typing!**_

_**Love with bunnies (don't ask),**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	8. Training

_Cody's POV_

It was easy for me to fall asleep there with Scarlet-er, Hiiro. It was the same routine every night. After dinner with Maka and Soul, we'd go to our room. She lay there for an hour, until she was finally asleep. I'd be awake for another two hours. But it was always the same. After Hiiro had fallen asleep, her breathing would be deeper. Then maybe five or ten minutes later, she'd kick the covers off, and curl up into a little ball. She'd mumble "Wake me up inside," and then I'd get up and re-cover her. When I got back to my bed I'd lay there for the rest of the time until I fell asleep. It was the same every night.

"Hey, Cody. Wake up." Hiiro's voice came through.

I cracked my eyes open. She loomed over me, her long hair pulled back in a messy bun. Pieces of her hair fell out of the bun and tickled my face. I scrunched my nose and she giggled.

"Morning, Sca-Hiiro." I caught myself.

She smiled warily. "Morning. You start at the academy today."

I sat up. "Yeah, that's right."

"Go out for breakfast. I'll be there after I get dressed."

I did as I was told. Soul and Maka weren't up yet, but I helped myself to some cereal. I swallowed a spoonful of Fruit Loops, and Hiiro emerged from our room. As she was brushing her hair, I couldn't help but notice her outfit; a gummy-bear-blue sweater that revealed her pale shoulders, a white pleated mini-skirt, blue and black striped knee high socks and black converse sneakers. It seemed like something she'd wear, but at the same time, something so foreign to her personality. Hiiro seated herself across from me and poured herself a bowl of Fruit Loops.

"So, you ready for your first day at the DWMA?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I think it'll be cool."

"Cool? You guys talking 'bout me?" Soul's voice came, taking a seat in between me and Hiiro.

"No, about Cody's first day."

"Oh. Yeah, you'll like it there. Well, save for Stein's lessons…"

I smiled slightly and finished my cereal, then traveled back to my room to get dressed. A black t-shirt with a maroon short sleeved shirt over it, my favorite ripped jeans, and green and black sneakers. I left my maroon shirt unbuttoned and combed my hair. It was still messy, though. My hair always is. When I went back out to the living room, Maka was there. She was dressed already and was tying up her hair. Soul pulled on his black leather jacket, and Hiiro grabbed a small bag.

"Let's go, guys." Maka said. And we left.

_Hiiro's POV_

We climbed the steps to the academy. Cody and I were very excited. I took him straight to Class Crescent Moon and introduced him to Patty, Liz, and Kid.

"Nice to meet you, Cody." Kid said.

"Whoa! Your eyes are, like, such a pale blue! That's freaky!" Patty shouted, poking him.

"Ah, Patty, _don't poke_ him. Sorry, about my sister. Hi, Cody. Nice to meet you…" Liz said, blushing.

"It's okay. Nice to meet you all, too." Cody replied, laughing.

Soul and Maka came in and sat down next to me. It seemed like an eternity before Stein came in. He rolled up to his desk in his little swivel chair and turned the giant screw in his head. Stein was silent for a long time, then he took a drag on his cigarette, and said, "There are new missions put up in the hall. I advise you all to look for a new one after class today. Or, you can do it now. I have some things to sort through for today's lesson."

Everyone except me, Cody, Maka, Soul, and Kid, Liz and Patty ran out into the hall. I rolled my eyes, and kicked my feet up onto my desk. Looking around, something was obviously missing.

"Hey, where's Black Star?" I asked.

"Oh, he and Tsubaki are looking for a new mission. I saw them out in the hall earlier." Stein informed us.

I nodded silently.

"Hey, Hiiro, maybe we should go look for a mission."

I snorted. "Sorry, Cody, but you don't know anything about fighting with a weapon! I know nothing about really being _handled_ as a weapon. Hell, we just straight up need training."

"Mm, yeah. We should ask Lord Death about it."

"Hey, guys, you could talk to Sid about training you." Maka told us.

Cody was terrible with remembering minors, but I knew exactly who Sid was. I just pretended not to. "Sid?"

"He's another teacher here at the academy. He's three-star knife meister. Er, well, he was."

"Was?" I played dumb.

"He sorta… Um…" Maka trailed off.

"You see, Hiiro, a couple years ago, Sid was a teacher here, and he had an accident. Like, a small version of the statue of liberty was stabbed into his forehead. He died." Soul said, and lowered his voice, "After Sid died, Stein turned him into a zombie. He's good now, but he wasn't. Anyway, he teaches here again. I'm sure he'd give you guys a couple lessons until you're ready to fight on your own."

"Wicked! We're gonna get lessons from a freakin' zombie!" I said, pumping my fist into the air.

"Sounds awesome!" Cody agreed.

"Cool. We'll take you guys to see him later today." Soul said with smile.

**Late That Day, After Class**

"Sure, I'll give you guys a couple lessons. That's the kind of man I was." Sid told Cody and me.

"Great, thanks." I told him, waving as Cole and I left the classroom.

We walked down the hall silently and came to the exit. The light burned my eyes momentarily before I was used to it. Then I turned a corner, and Cody grabbed my arm. I cocked my head to the side as I spun back to face him.

"Where ya going? We're supposed to meet Soul and Maka at the diner-place." Cody said.

"Oh, yeah. I'll meet ya there. I have to grab something from the apartment." I told him.

He nodded his head and let me go. I ruffled his hair, and he gently kissed my cheek, like we always do. It's sort of like our way of saying goodbye-for-now. Cody walked away in the opposite direction, and I head towards the apartments.

I got there quicker than I expected. I pulled my key out of my sneaker, and unlocked the door. I gasped as my eyes laid on the dark purple mass of fluff sitting on the couch.

"Blair…" I half-whispered.

She, in cat-form, yawned, stretched, stood up, arched her back sloooowly, and hopped down. There was a puff of bright purple smoke and I coughed. When the smoke cleared, human-ish Blair stood before me. She adjusted her hat, and I looked her over. Same outfit as usual.

"I still live here, girly. There's no getting rid of me." Blair told me.

I shook my head. "Who said I wanted to get rid of you? 'Cause I didn't."

She rolled her eyes.

"Look, Blair; I don't wanna hate you, and I don't want you to hate me. Can't we just, like, be friends?"

She looked me over, smiled slightly, and pulled me into an unexpected hug.

"Sure! I _do _love your outfit, by the way." Blair told me.

I pulled away quickly. "Ah, thanks."

I wandered into my room and grabbed my glasses. Blair followed me; she was now back to cat-form. Slipping my red frames onto the top of my head, I scooped up cat-Blair in my arms. She purred loudly. I sat on my bed and stroked her head.

"Ya know, you're a really cute lil' kitty." I told her, scratching behind her ears.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

I giggled slightly. I set her down gently on the floor, and told her where I was going.

"I'll be at work by the time you all get back." Blair told me.

I thought a moment before I remembered she worked at Chupacabra's. I smirked to myself.

"Okay, see ya later then."

With that, I left for the diner. Who'd of thought I would ever make nice with someone like Blaire?

_**A/N…**_

_**Okay, if you guys think the story's boring now, STOP THINKING THAT! Truuuuust me, it definitely picks up, especially by chapter 10. What? I write ahead sometimes. {Oooh, foreshadowing from the author!}**_

_**Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	9. Training Begins

Cody and I walked confidently through the trees. Though it was more me, as I was sort of, kind of dragging him. Soon enough, though, we saw Sid leaning against a tree waiting for us. I took in all his blue skin, and street clothes. I was excited- _super-ultra _excited! - to start training. Sid pulled away from the tree and walked up to us. He looked Cody and I over, and nodded his head silently.

"Okay. We'll start with some basic battle techniques. Hiiro, change to weapon form." Sid told me.

"Alright." I did as I was told.

I legitimately flew into the air, glowing with bright light, and felt myself change. It was like being folded into the shape of the double-bladed scythe I was, except not painful. As I fell back down from the sky, Cody caught me with ease. It took a moment, but I stopped glowing. Cody muttered praise to me, and I smiled. There was a flash and I could see through the top blade on the staff. And then suddenly, _Crap! That means Sid and Cody can see me in the blade… and I'm naked…_

Except, I wasn't. Those bandages I kept wrapped around my chest? They were there. And thank God for that! I remembered that when a person appeared in the blade of the weapon, only, like, the ribs and up were visible.

"How does it feel?" Sid asked.

"Lighter than I expected." he told Sid.

"Okay, now try moving with her." Sid commanded Cody.

Cody simply twirled me like a baton. Then, lifted me over his head, twisted me around quickly, and then caught me in his other hand. I thought it was impressive. And, surprisingly, I wasn't feeling dizzy.

"Good. Run around with Hiiro and pretend like the trees with targets painted on them are kishins."

Cody nodded, and tightened his grip on the bandages that were wrapped around the silvery-grey staff of mine. He ran at one of the targeted trees, and took aim. It was sliced in half easily. I did feel dizzy, however, when Cody spun rather quickly to face another one of the trees. He twirled me and chopped it down.

It went on like that until all the targeted trees were just stumps and lumber. When that was done, Sid dismissed us for the day and told us to meet him there again tomorrow.

**Back at the Apartments**

Cody tossed me a can of Root Beer and I popped the tab open and took swig of the fizzy beverage. I sat myself up onto the counter next to the sink. Maka came out of her room and poured herself some iced tea.

"How was training, then?" she asked.

"I think it went well." Cody told her with a dopey smile on his face.

"Yeah, I think so." I chimed.

"Great!"

Soul was quick to join us. "Hey guys."

"Hi." I mumbled through my Root Beer.

"Hey." Cody answered.

"You guys, Kid invited everyone over dinner tonight. Gonna come?" Maka asked.

"Yeah, sure." I told her.

"Why not?"

"Yay! We should probably leave in a couple hours."

**Three Hours Later**

Gallows Manor seemed bigger than I had expected. But I still was happy to be there. Cody seemed quite astonished when he first saw it, and we went in. Kid, Liz, and Patty were setting the table when we got to the kitchen. Maka and Cody helped while Soul and I waited in the living room. It was, in fact, perfectly symmetrical, as I would have guessed from Kid. I kicked my feet over the arm of the chair and sat sideways across from Soul.

"Do you like being a scythe?" Soul asked me suddenly.

I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. "Definitely! It's totally cool."

He smiled. I smiled. I looked at him intently. Focusing on every aspect of him, I wanted to jump up and hug him forever. Because he was real. And I was talking to him. I wanted to run my fingers through his spiky, white hair. Because I had always wanted to. And I wanted to stay there forever with him and Maka and Cody and everyone else. Because I had dreamt of it for so long.

_**A/N…**_

_**I decided to update this today, since the last chapter was rather boring. Anyway, sorry for the short chapter! I just needed to get it outta the way so I could start on the next and get to the good stuff!**_

_**Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose **_


	10. I Can Prove It

"Listen up! I know you guys are new in town, but let's get one thing straight; I'm the star around here, got it? I will surpass God one day, and you will have to bow down to me!" Black Star's voice boomed through the dining room. He ended his statement with a chuckle, and sat back down at the table.

Cody and I stifled a laugh. We both remembered Black Star to be cocky and headstrong. We gave the young assassin a thumbs up, and went back to our food.

"Speaking of which, how long will you guys be in town?" Kid asked us.

I thought about it. "Two weeks…" I said softly.

Everyone nodded. Except Soul and Maka. They looked at me with a little mixture of shock, and sadness. I shrugged my shoulders at them, and mouthed _tell you later_. I had never told them Cody and I were only out there for spring break, and that it lasted just two weeks. My stomach tightened suddenly, and I wasn't so hungry anymore. I took a few more bites, and announced I was finished.

I sat down on the couch and waited for anyone to be finished to keep me company. First person to come in, besides me, was Kid. He stood in front of me.

"Hey, Kid. What's up?"

"Hi. It's just… Hiiro, you look vaguely familiar."

I cocked my head. "Yeah, I ran into you, or you to me, the other day. Maka and I were out shopping. Remember?"

He shook his head. "No, I mean yes I remember that. But from somewhere else…"

_He could've seen me from that one show Soul watched…_ I thought. I simply shrugged my shoulders. Cody walked in then, and planted himself next to me.

**Later That Day**

'Mordred's Lullaby' by Heather Dale played as I placed my headphones over my ears. I really liked the song, despite the fact that it was rather slow. I closed my eyes, and let myself sink into the music. With my hands over the ears of the headphones, I swayed back and forth, mouthing the lyrics.

"…_And you won't understand the cause of your grief, but you'll always follow the voices beneath…"_

The song played, and I became aware of why I was listening to it. My eyes flew open, just as someone had touched my shoulder. Soul stood in front of me, his hand on my arm. I paused the song and lowered my headphones.

"Hey. What's up?" I asked Soul.

"Oh. Nothing. You were just so quiet in here, I wondered if you had fallen asleep or something."

"Ah. Nope, wide awake."

"Cool. So what'cha listening to?"

"Here," I took my headphones of my neck, and played the song "It's called Mordred's Lullaby."

He took one of the ears and held it next to his, and I took the other.

"But I like to call it-"

"It reminds me of-"

We interrupted each other, and I turned my head to see that he was looking at me. "Who does it remind you of…?"

"What do you like to call it, Hiiro?"

"Um, I like to call it Crona's Lullaby…"

"It _reminds me_ of Crona."

I nodded my head silently. His eyes looked directly into mine. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"Do you want to see him?" Soul asked.

I nodded again. He grinned, and handed me my headphones. I smiled back and set them down. Soul gestured for me to follow him out the door.

"C-Cody! I'm going for a walk, be back later…!" I called to my partner.

"Kay!" he responded.

Soul and I walked out the door and down a flight of steps until we were in front of his apartment complex. I looked back over my shoulder then kept walking.

**At the Academy: the dungeons**

"Just down this hall." Soul told me.

I nodded and walked forward. Door after door, they all looked the same. But something told me which door was the right one. It was at the very end of the hall, and it set off a very lonely vibe. I knew who was on the other side. Soul opened the door slowly and grabbed my wrist. He pulled me inside, and shut the door. It was so dark.

"Crona? It's Soul." He spoke.

"S-Soul?" a familiar voice came.

There were footsteps in the darkness. Well, more like bare feet shuffling across the floor to us.

"Yeah, it's me."

"And Maka!" the voice chimed.

I felt arms around me. Realizing he had mistaken me for Maka, I muttered, "Um…" The arms loosened. "I'm sorry but… I'm not Maka."

He gasped and let me go. "Who- who are you?" he shouted.

"Crona, calm down-" Soul tried.

"Where's Maka?" Crona interrupted, panicked.

"Crona! Maka's at home. This," he grabbed my hand and pulled me forward, "is our friend. Her name is Hiiro."

"Oh…"

"Crona, please turn the light on."

He shuffled back over to where he came from, and light flooded the room. I saw there was a bed, dresser, a desk, and naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling inside the room. A tall boy with pink hair stood under the light, his hand resting on the cord that turned it on. I recognized him.

"Hiiro, this is Crona." Soul said to me.

I stepped forward, and he let go of my hand. "Hi, Crona. It's nice to meet you."

Crona's eyes darted up and down, scanning every aspect of me. "H-hello…"

I held out my hand, and he flinched. I cocked my head to the side, and smiled. Crona realized I wasn't going to hurt him, and he just barely grabbed my hand. I shook my hand up and down. He smiled slightly.

"Your hair is really long." Crona commented.

Soul and I laughed. "I know. I like it long."

"It doesn't get in your way?"

"Sometimes, but then I tie it in a braid."

"Oh."

I smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Hiiro," Soul said. I turned to look at him, "do you want to tell Crona about… yourself…?" he asked.

I knew what he was saying. "Yes. But, just me. Wait outside, okay?"

He nodded, and left me alone with Crona.

"Hey, Crona."  
"What?"

"I'm just like you."

"But… you're a girl."

I laughed. "No, not like that. I mean, I have the same blood type as you."

He looked confused. "Nobody has the same blood as me…"

"But I do. Sometimes, I have black blood too."

"Sometimes?"

"Yeah. Not always, though. Only when I'm really upset. Or if I get a little crazy."

"Crazy?"

"Uh-huh. You know, like all giggly and loopy. And just… insane!"

Just then, something popped out of Crona's back. "Crona's crazy! He's nuts!" the something said.

"Hiiro… thi- this is Ragnorak."

"Hi, Ragnorak!" I said cheerfully.

"So, you're a nutso like Crona?" Ragnorak asked.

"Well, I dunno about that. And from what I hear, I don't think Crona's really a nutso."

"You just said you go crazy sometimes."

"Yeah, _sometimes._"

"How only sometimes?"

I was getting irritated. "I dunno, I just can!"

"Nobody can just suddenly become crazy."

"Well, _I _can!"

"Really?"

I'm not sure why I said it. It was really dumb of me. But you know what? I said it anyway.

"Yes! And I can," I giggled, "I can pah-rooooove it!"

I giggled some more. "And I'll show you my black blood. It'll be as black as the night sky! Ha, ha!" more fits of giggles.

I couldn't stop laughing. I could feel my pupils dilating, and my eyes flashed.

Crona looked terrified. "H-Hiiro. You're eyes were just purple…"

"Uh-huh! I knoooow!" Giggling again.

"But now they're orange."

"Really? Awesome!"

I was laughing more. For some reason, I started twirling around the room going, "La, la, la! La, la, la!" over and over again.

I spotted a nail sticking out of the wall, and grabbed it. I pulled, and it came out of the wall. I poked the end. It was sharp.  
"Lookey, lookey!" I said, "Look! My blood! My blood is black!"

And with that, I dragged the end of the nail across my wrist, and black liquid poured out of my skin.


	11. Fully Alive

_Soul's POV_

From inside Crona's room, I heard Hiiro giggling. It seemed odd, and out of place. Especially since she was telling Crona about her blood. I pressed my ear to the door.

"Look!" Hiiro said, "My blood! My blood is black!"

My eyes widened, and I threw the door open. I saw Crona huddled up against the wall, and Hiiro was facing him, her back to me. She was giggling in an eerie way. Her left hand was held out to him, her right hand at her side. In her right hand was a rusty nail, dripping with black liquid. I looked closer, and her left wrist had the same blackness coming from it. The black dripped rapidly to the floor, and I realized: she had slit her wrist.

I moved quickly, and wrenched the nail from her hand. She turned and gave me a lopsided grin. Her once violet eyes were now a creepy orange. Her pupils were huge, and black as her blood. She giggled again. It was _so_ creepy!

She held out her wrist. "Look, Soul! I told you my blood was black!"

She lifted her wrist, and let the blood drip on her face. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth wide. The blood dripped into her mouth, and then she licked her wrist. Her wrist kept bleeding.

I threw down the nail, and grabbed her shoulders. As I looked into her eyes, she laughed, loudly.

"Scarlet!" I shouted, remembering her true name. "Knock it off! This is not you!"

"Of course it's me! Can't you tell?"

She came loose from my grip and ran up onto Crona's bed. She jumped up and down.

"Wee! Woohoo! This is fuuuuuuun!"

I grabbed her ankles and pulled her down. She landed on the floor on her knees. I knelt down in front of her, and held her hands with an iron-tight grip. Her wide eyes and eerie grin made it hard to recognize her, the Hiiro I knew.

"Scarlet—Hiiro! Snap out of it!"

She giggled again. _This isn't working! Maybe if I could… connect with her…? _I thought to myself. I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes. I focused as hard as I could.

_Omniscient Narrator_

Soul opened his eyes, and he was in a different room. It was a nice size, and the walls were painted maroon and the floor was a dark brown hardwood. There were all sorts of gears on the wall. In the corner there was a birdcage on a stand and a black bird with a white breast was inside. Its wings looked mechanical. Next to the cage was a desk with a shiny typewriter with gears and a meter on it. An old looking piece of paper lay next to it, and a Victorian-style pen dripped black ink onto the paper. Across from the desk on the other wall was a crème colored loveseat. Next to the loveseat was a stand, and on top of it a gold case connected to what resembled a trumpet horn. In the case was an iPod. The whole room was very steampunk looking.

Soul was dressed in a red pirate-looking shirt partially tucked in and a dark brown jacket with the sleeves rolled up, dark blue jeans with leather gun holsters, minus the actual guns, and brown leather boots. Replacing his headband was a pair of hoodwinks. Behind him, there was a door. A knock came, then the knob twisted and the door opened. Hiiro stepped in. Her eyes were back to their normal purple, and her long hair was curled and tied back up in partial bun, partial ponytail. Her bangs were curled at the bottom. She wore a black blouse with a maroon and white striped corset over top, a black petticoat skirt that dropped to her mid-thighs and brown boots with black laces that went just above her knees. Her hands had maroon fingerless gloves covering them.

"Hello, Soul." Hiiro spoke.

"Hiiro…" Soul said. "Where are we?"

"In my Spiritual Dimension."

"Your… How'd I get here?"

She smiled at him. "Your soul connected with mine. So, naturally, you were brought here."

Her eyes darted to the iPod. She lifted it from its place, scrolled through several songs, and hit 'Play' then put it back.

"Fully Alive" by Flyleaf played through the horn, and filled the room with music. Hiiro curtsied at Soul. He bowed back. Then, she stepped toward him and said, "Would you like to dance?"

Soul nodded slowly, and took her hand in his, then placed the other on her waist as Hiiro wrapped her free hand around his neck.

"This room is very…" Soul wondered aloud.

"I just love steampunk. I never thought my Spiritual Dimension would look just as though I designed it myself." she told him.

"You mean, you've never been here before now?"

She shook her head. "So, why are _you_ here?"

"You don't know?" Another shake of her head. "You went a little crazy, back in Crona's room. And you ended up cutting your wrist with a nail."

Hiiro's eyes widened. "Oh my god! No!"

"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone with Crona."

"No, Soul. It's my fault. I gave into the madness. It was Ragnorak. He was tempting me, and I love to be right. So, I let myself be taken over by the madness. To prove my blood could turn black."

Soul didn't know what to say. Hiiro, like always, let herself sink into the music. Her eyes closed, and she let Soul guide her as they danced. He spun her under his arm, her skirt flowing. He pulled her back in, then dipped her back. Her eyes opened, and they stayed in that position.

"You have to pull me out. I'm not strong enough." Hiiro told Soul.

"Strong enough for what?"

"To get myself out of the madness. You have to do it quickly. Or my own madness will trigger Crona's."

Soul nodded and pulled her back up. She pointed to the door she came through.

"My soul is back there. There is a light side and a dark side. The madness is the light side, sanity is the dark."

"That doesn't make any sense." Soul said.

"Life doesn't make sense. Just trust me. Pull me to toward the dark, and leave some of me in the light."

"What?! Why?"

"Because, nobody can live without a little crazy in their life. You have it too. Some have it more than others, like me and Crona. Soul, when I go down there," her eyes floated to the door, "I don't know… I black out. I think I'm still conscious, but I'm not sure. So, no matter what I say down there, do as I'm saying _now._ Got it?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay. Let's go."

Hiiro grabbed Soul's hand, and he led her to the door. He opened it and the two walked down a set of stairs. At the bottom was a tiny room. On the wall was a large mirror, and Hiiro's soul was in front of it. On the right was a black wall with a black door, and a white knob; the darkness and sanity. On the left was a white wall with a white door and a black knob; the light and madness. The majority of Hiiro's soul was in the light. She suddenly stepped forward, and her soul sank into her chest. She stood just where her soul was. Hiiro smiled.

"Okay, Soul. Where will you put me? It's entirely in your hands now."


	12. The Madness Came too Close

_Omniscient Narrator_

"Okay, Soul. Where will you put me? It's entirely in your hands now."

The young weapon stepped toward the girl. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and went to move her toward the dark.

"Soul?" she said.

"…Yes?" he asked.

"I didn't mean what I said earlier. The _light_ is my sanity."

"No. You said it was the dark. You don't know what you're saying now."

"If that's true then why am I mostly sane now?"

It caught him off guard. "But—but you said…"

"I know what I said. Listen to what I'm saying now."

He didn't know how to respond. He just lowered his eyes to his feet. "The past means nothing. The present is what we need, and the future isn't here yet. So don't worry about anything but the present." the girl told him.

Soul's head shot up. "No. If you were sane you wouldn't say that." Hiiro's smiled melted away. "If you were sane, you'd know that the past means everything. No one would be where they are now if not for the past. The present is just what it is: a present, a gift. And the future. It has yet to be written, and we write it."

With that, Soul moved Hiiro to the darkness, leaving just a bit of her in the light. Her sanity was in the darkness, her madness in the light. Soul knew that. Hiiro told him when they were dancing. She was perfectly sane, no matter what, in her Spiritual Dimension. But the room where they stood wasn't her Spiritual Dimension; it was her state of mind. With that, Soul wondered something, and asked Hiiro.

"What's behind these doors?"

"Behind the black door is all my sane memories. And behind the white door is all my memories of madness. And the mirror… if you look into it, you'll what you mean to me."

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He turned his head to look in the mirror. His reflection appeared, but was soon replaced by 'SOUL EVANS' written in handwriting that could only belong to Hiiro. His name then replaced with a flash of light, and three paragraphs.

"Soul:" the first paragraph started, "You mean so much to me-"

That was all he was able to read before he closed his eyes forcefully, then opened them again. He found himself back in Crona's room.

_Hiiro's POV_

"Hiiro… Come on, wake up." a voice called to me. I opened my eyes. Soul sat in front of me, his hands clutching my shoulders. A smile spread across his lips. I smiled back, and hugged him.

"Thank you." I whispered.

Soon, I spotted a pink head of hair in the corner. Crona. "Crap…" I muttered, and crawled over to him.

He flinched. I sighed deeply. "Crona. You know I didn't mean to scare you, right?"

He shook violently. "Dammit. The madness came too close… Soul!" he came to my side. "He's almost given in. The madness will consume him too, and you know we can't bring him back without Maka." I said. "You have to get him away from me, or me from him. Just do it quickly!"

He nodded his head and picked Crona up on his feet. I back away from the boys, and closed my eyes. Without moment's hesitation, I bolted out of the room, and through the dungeon. On the main floor of the academy, I caught my breath and headed for the doors. I waited patiently for Soul out front, and made a mental list of what had happened.

_I met Crona_

_I let myself slip into the madness_

_I slit my wrist for the first time in three years_

_I discovered my Spiritual Dimension_

_Soul pulled me out of the madness, and made me sane again_

_I may or may not have triggered Crona's own madness_

My knees were hugged to my chest, and I breathed heavily. My chocolate bangs shrouded my eyes in darkness. The night air was cold and haunting to me. Everywhere my eyes looked, there was only darkness and night. The only light came from the always-crescent moon, blood dripping from its teeth. Funny how I found the sun creepier than the moon.

"Crona's fine now." Soul's voice came. I twisted my torso so I could see him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He said he's not scared of you anymore, and he wants you to visit again. When you're completely sane."

I giggled, and Soul held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled to my feet. I smiled and we walked down the steps. I admit, I was afraid of being out in the city so late. Especially because of the kishins.

Soul and I were about a third of the way home, when I heard a bang. I shrieked and gripped Soul's arm tightly. He chuckled, and I looked at him. He gestured toward a building, and there was a stray cat, half inside a knocked over trash can. I slapped his arm.

"Don't laugh at me!"

"You know, for someone who just had an insanity spell, you sure are skittish."

"So…?"

"So, why are you so scared?"

"I-I'm afraid…" I mumbled the rest.

"What?

"I'm afraid of the…" more mumbling.

"Huh?"

"I'm afraid of the dark! There!" I shouted, and crossed my arms across my chest and pouted.

We walked in silence, and I finally dropped my arms. I was kind of ticked at Soul for laughing at my nyctophobia. But suddenly something grasped my hand. I looked down; it was Soul's hand. I looked up. He stopped walking, so I stopped.

"I'm sorry, Hiiro. I didn't know you were afraid of the dark." he squeezed my hand.

"It's fine…" I squeezed back.

We kept walking, hand in hand, back home. I felt safer with Soul's hand in mine, knowing he was right there. He wouldn't leave me. And he understood me. Finally, Soul knew something about me that _I_ had told him.

_**A/N…**_

_**Hi! Well, I got some bad news. Chapter 13 sorta got deleted… But I'm working on it now, so don't freak! But please don't get too upset if it takes a week to update. I got homework and finals to handle, as well. And I'm sorry if it's not that good or detailed. It's really hard to duplicate that kinda stuff. Once again, I'm reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaally sorry!**_

_**Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	13. Anything to Eat

"Come on, Cody! Focus!" I shouted at my partner. We were back training with Sid again. It was our fourth training session, and we had moved from none-moving targets, to slow-moving targets, to fast targets, and now fast targets that could fire back.

"I'm trying, really!" he responded.

"Well, try harder."

"Woman, let me concentrate!"

I giggled despite my efforts not to. I saw him smile slightly through my blade. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. I repeated his actions. It was so silent. And then. A branch snapped, and mine and Cody's eyes flew open. Kilik lunged toward Cody, the gauntlet weapons on his hands formed into fists, and aflame. Cody swerved to the side, and twirled me, then brought a blade down towards Kilik's shoulder. Kilik dodged and threw a fist at Cody. He just barely missed, and turned so Kilik's back was to him. Quickly, he kicked Kilik to the ground and brought my top blade down, so it was just three inches from Kilik's neck.

"Nice, you're improving Cody." Kilik said.

Cody removed my blade from his neck, and threw in the air. I lit up, and felt myself unfold back to my regular human form. I landed with a light thump next to Cody. Fire and Thunder changed back from weapon form too, and stood next to their meister. It was still amazing to my mind how young, yet powerful, the two were. Cody helped Kilik up and thanked him with a smile. Sid appeared from behind a tree. We all stood straight, waiting for his answer.

"Great job, Cody. You too, Hiiro. Same thing next time. And Kilik," Sid said. The dark-skinned boy nodded. "Do not hold back next time."

"Yes, Sid." Kilik replied.

The zombie left, and Cody and I spun on Kilik. "You held _back?_" I questioned.

"Only a little…" he replied.

"Sid's right. Don't hold back next time. _At all!_"

"But-"

"Huh-uh! We can handle it. We may look weak in your eyes because we're new. But we can handle it!" Cody said.

I nodded in agreement, and we left.

"Wait a sec, Cody."

"Um, okay?"

I ran and caught up with our teacher. "Sid! Sid, wait a minute!"

"Huh?" he said, turning to me.

"I was wondering… when can Cody and I do a Soul Resonance technique?"

He smiled the best he could. "I was wondering when you'd ask. Probably after two more training sessions."

"Really? Thanks!"

"No problem. After all, that's the kind of man I was."

I smiled, and left for Cody. I told him the haps, and he nodded thankfully. We walked down the street together, and it was eerily silent. It was close to evening time, but even so, it shouldn't have been that quiet. I gave him a nervous glance, and we walked a little fast. Cody knew I had nyctophobia, and it scared him to see me scared. But we couldn't control the dark.

_Cody's POV_

Just one block and we'd be okay. Just one block and Hiiro wouldn't be afraid. Just. One. Block. And just one block, made all the difference.

"Cody…" Hiiro whispered to me.

"I know. We're almost there." I told her.

She whimpered, and I put my arm around her shoulder. We walked faster. Well, Hiiro pretty much ran and dragged me along. As I tried to keep up with her, there was a thump behind us. Hiiro froze. I let go of her and turned around slowly. A mere ten feet away stood a woman with short black hair. She wore the darkest green dress that looked like it should've been longer, but it was ripped so it only went to her knees. Her skin was slightly tan, but somehow seemed translucent. Her eyes had no color whatsoever.

The woman smiled seductively, and her eye crinkled to tiny white slits. "Hello, I am Bania. Do have anything… to eat?"

I grabbed Hiiro's arm. It was sheltered in goose bumps and ice cold. "No. we don't."

"Oh. That's too bad. I guess your souls will have to do!"

Under my hand, Hiiro's skin went from freezing to the temperature of Hell.

The woman, Bania, I realized, was a kishin. She lunged at us. I wanted to grab Hiiro and run. But I couldn't, my feet were stuck to the streets. I was too terrified. Then, Bania pushed me down and tackled Hiiro. I regained my senses on the ground, and watched. Bania was on top of Hiiro, clawing at her throat. But Hiiro grabbed Bania's wrists and flipped her over her back. She jerked her body towards me.

"Cody!" Hiiro called, and reached for me.

"Hiiro, I'm coming!" I called back.

I reached out and grabbed her wrist as she grabbed mine. Quickly, I pulled her toward me and, not even a second later, she was in weapon form, still glowing. I assumed a battle stance.

"You wanna fight? Let's fight!" I shouted at Bania.

She got to her feet, and flexed her fingers. Long claws extended from her nails. Sounds good to me!" she responded as she swiped at the air between us threateningly.

The light broke, and I felt the familiar bandages wrapped around Hiiro's staff. I ran at the kishin, and she barely dodged. She clawed at me, and ripped my skin open. Blood dripped from my right arm down to the stones on the street as I cried out in pain. Hiiro appeared in the top blade. Her eyes completely shrouded by her bangs. She fingered her collar bone, not able to touch the skin just below it, as it was wrapped in bandages.

"It can't happen to you, too…" she whispered.

"What? What can't happen?" I asked her, backing away from Bania.

Suddenly, she jerked her head up, shaking her bangs from her eyes. "No time for stories now! Just fight!"

I nodded my head. Bania scratched at my ankles, and I jumped up. Then, she swiped again near my face. I jerked back, and felt liquid on my cheek. She had got me. My breath was ragged and uneven. Bania lunged at me, and I swerved to the side. I now stood with her back to me. I brought Hiiro's top blade down. It smashed through Bania's skin, and ripped her dress.

She screamed, then turned to me and screeched, "YOU BASTARD!"

_Cole…_ I hear in my head. It sounded like Hiiro.

…_Yeah?_ I answered.

_You have to die._

_What?!_

_I mean, let Bania knock you down, and think that she's won. Then, when she's about to take your soul, kill her._

_I dunno, Hiiro._

_Just trust me._

I did. Even if I didn't, I had no other choice. It seemed like a good plan, Hiiro's did. But would it work?

_**A/N…**_

_**It's been less than a week, that's good! So, like I said, it's not as good as it was, but it's hard to duplicate these things. I may have left some things out, but I got the majority of it in.**_

_**Reviews keep the gears turning and my fingers typing!**_

_**Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	14. What Changed?

I lay there on the ground, bloody and ragged. Hiiro was unresponsive. For the last few minutes of the fight, I'd been trying to talk to her. It appeared like she had died inside weapon form, and left me with just a simple scythe. But I knew that she couldn't die in weapon form, and stay a weapon. But if she were in human form, she'd definitely be dead. I had used her many times to block, and if she were a regular, normal weapon, she'd be cut in half, and useless. But she wasn't. She was in one piece, and more than useful.

My breath was heavy and shallow, trying to get air into my lungs. Like Hiiro told me, I let Bania knock me down. When she did, Hiiro flew from my grip, and was several feet away. I inched myself towards her on my belly, and gripped her staff. I turned on my back and gasped for breath. Bania's feet appeared next to me. She stood there for a second, and then she kicked my gut. I moaned in pain and coughed.

The kishin loomed over me. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. When I opened them, Bania was standing over me, her claws ready for the final blow. As she swiped at me, I did the same to her. I barely saw Hiiro's bottom blade slash through Bania's torso. She screamed, her back arched and blood spewing from her body. Then, Hiiro glowed and was in human form again. She stood next to me as I lay still, watching Bania become black bandages that swirled around each other. The bandages fell to the stones of the street, and a ruby sphere floated above them as they vanished.

Hiiro walked over to the kishin egg and grabbed it. She seemed… forceful. So I stayed on the ground, propped up on my elbows, and watched her close her eyes and push the egg down into her mouth. She chewed for a moment, then swallowed. Her eyes flew open, and a smirk stuck itself across her lips. Hiiro finally noticed me again, and walked back to me. She extended her hand and smiled sweetly. I smiled back, and she pulled me to my feet.

"Good job, Cody." Hiiro told me.

"Yeah, you too." I replied.

The wind blew quickly. Hiiro realized our surroundings: darkness. Her smile melted into a frown, and the happiness that shone in her eyes disappeared. I grabbed her wrist and dragged her. She barely moved, so I hoisted her onto my back. Hiiro was silent the rest of the way. The only sign of her existence was her weight on my back and her breath on the back of my neck

**At the Apartments**

Hiiro crashed on the couch, and I sat down at the table. A sigh escaped my mouth as I buried my fingers in my hair. There was a sound like a chair scraping against the floor. I looked up. It was Soul.

"Hey." I said softly.

"Hey. You alright?"

"Ah. Yeah. I'm fine. Hiiro's okay too."

"Right, good."

There was an awkward silence. Then he said, "So… What happened?"

"We sorta had a run-in with a kishin. And it had gotten dark out. Well… Hiiro has nyctophobia, so… yeah."

He nodded silently. "Yeah… How'd it go?"

"It was rough. We weren't really prepared. But, obviously, we won."

"I can tell it was rough. Here," he tossed me a box, "for your cut."

It was a box of Band-Aids. I smiled, and retrieved one from the box. I stuck it to my face to cover the cut on my cheek.

"Thanks, Soul."

"No problem, Cody."

**A Little Later**

_Hiiro's POV_

My eyes fluttered open, and it took a moment for them to adjust to the dim lighting. I was on the couch, lying on my side. The sun wasn't completely up yet, suggesting it was dawn. My legs wobbled for a second when I stood, but soon regained their balance. I went back to mine and Cody's room, and grabbed my pajamas. Making sure he was asleep, I got undressed and wrapped a towel around myself and hugged my PJs to my chest. I ran mutely through the apartment to Maka's bathroom, and started the shower. The cool water trickled down my back and drenched my hair. It felt nice, after my sweat-soaked sleep.

I'm not sure how long I was in the shower. After I'd washed myself up, I just stood there in the water. But my belly was empty, and I got out. I dried myself off and got dressed in my pajamas. Walking out of the bathroom, I tied my hair into a messy bun. The sun was finally up, and it stared at me through the window. It was just another reminder that I was truly in Death City.

Nobody else was awake yet, so I fixed myself some toast and orange juice. I sat at the table alone, ate my breakfast. It was a small breakfast, but I was still exhausted from the battle with the kishin Bania. So I figured Maka might make me something whenever she decided to get up.

"Morning, Hiiro." a voice said sleepily.

"Oh, morning, Maka." I replied.

"You're up awfully early."

"Well, so are you."

She laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess. Are you hungry?"

I smiled. "Yes, a little."

"Kay, I'll make us some food."

"Thanks."

Maka grabbed a pan and set it on the stove. She then retrieved pancake batter from one of the cabinets, and poured it into the pan. They fried for several minutes, and then she flipped them.

"So… where were you and Cody last night?" she asked, one hand on her hip, the other holding the spatula.

"He didn't tell you?" I replied. She shook her head. "On the way back from training, we ran into a kishin."

"Everything go alright?"

"I guess. A couple scrapes and bruises, but we're good."

"Good." She flipped the pancakes again. "Anything interesting happen?"

"Not really. I mean the fight itself was, but nothing other than that."

Maka nodded, turned off the burner, and flipped two pancakes on a plate for me. She flipped two more for herself.

"If the boys want food, they can make themselves." she told me.

I smiled, and poured syrup onto my breakfast. Maka sat across from me and repeated the process. We ate, and finished just as Cody came out. He smiled a _good morning_, and came up behind me.

"I'm glad you're not beat up too badly." Cody told me, wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze.

I smiled and patted his arm. "Thanks. Same goes to you, bro."

He turned his attention to Maka. I looked at her too. She had wary smiled on her face, and faraway look in her eyes. I cocked my head to the side.

"You alright Maka?" I asked.

She shook her head in order to get her attention back to us. "Yeah. Just… just remembering when Soul and I were like that."

"What changed?" Cody asked.

"We realized we'd always be alright at the end of a battle, and stopped worrying about each other so much."

I beamed at her. "Awesome." I whispered.

"Hey, wait a minute." Cody said. We looked at him. "Where are _my_ pancakes?"

I laughed and Maka smirked. "Make your own. These were specially made for me and Hiiro."

"Whatever!" he said in a pretending-to-be-mad voice. Then he got himself a bowl of cereal, and sat down between me and Maka.

"Maka, I want breakfast." Soul's voice came.

"That's nice, Soul." she retorted.

"You wanna make me some?"

"Nope."

He growled. "Fine then, be that way." Soul angrily retrieved a plate, and made himself some scrambled eggs with cheese. He sat down at the table across from Cody and shoved forkfuls into his mouth. I reached over, and plucked a few pieces from the pile, then dropped them into my mouth.

"Hey, get your own!" Soul told me.

"Already did. But I wanted some of yours." I replied with a giggle.

He grumbled something, then continued to eat his eggs. Obviously, Soul wasn't a morning person.

_**A/N…**_

_**Ending was a bit boring, but I didn't know else to end it! Other than that, how'd ya guys like it? Lemme know in the box below! (Hey, that rhymed!)**_

_**Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	15. Revenge

It was the hottest night of my life. Sure, I was in a desert and all, but it was _really_ hot! There were two fans in mine and Cody's room, and I slept on top of my blankets. I swapped the purple tee and black PJ pants for a blue night dress that went to my thighs and had regular tank top straps. Still, I was soaked in sweat when I woke up in the morning.

I pulled my hair up into a messy bun, like usual when I woke up, and walked into the kitchen. My night dress swished around my thighs as I retrieved the orange juice carton from the fridge. Blair and I were the only ones who ever drank the dang juice, so I opened the spout and took a swig of the beverage. Maka came out just as I closed the fridge door. We were always the first ones to wake up.

"Morning, Maka." I said sleepy-ish.

"Hey, Hiiro. How'd you sleep last night?"

"Eh, well enough. You?"

"It was way too hot!"

My bedroom door opened and closed as Cody came out. "I'll say. I barely slept a wink." he replied to Maka.

She blushed furiously when she saw him. He was wearing just a pair of old basketball shorts. No shirt. I didn't really understand why she was blushing; Cody was just tan enough to not be pale, and he was kind of lanky. He had slight muscle, but it wasn't really noticeable. Nothing to blush over.

Maka turned away quickly, and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. I rolled my eyes, and grabbed a bagel and some strawberry crème cheese. As the bagel toasted in the toaster, I occupied myself with trying to get Soul out of bed.

"Get up!" I said as I pounded on the door.

"No!" Soul's muffled voice came.

"Yes, we have to go to school!"

"I'll call in sick!"

I growled, and threw the door open. A pillow came flying at me as I entered the room. It hit my chest, and I grabbed it before it fell to the floor. Gripping it tightly, I smacked Soul on the head with it.

"Hey!"

"Get your ass outta bed right now or you're gonna be late! It's obvious you're not sick, so quite playing and get ready!"

His eyes widened at my anger, then closed again. "I'm too tired…" Soul whined.

"I don't care. We're all tired but we're up anyway."

He groaned and buried his face into his pillow. "Fine. If you're gonna be that way…" I said deviously with a smirk on my face as I went back out to the kitchen. I got a cup and filled it with cold water. The toaster popped up, and I set the cup down and spread my crème cheese on it. The water was in my hand again as I left my breakfast on the counter.

"Soul, get up or I'll pour this water on you." I told him angrily, my free hand on my hip and my eyebrows arched down to show frustration.

"Yeah, right." Soul mumbled.

"Alright…"

With that, I dumped the water onto his spiky colorless hair. He jumped up with wide eyes and the most comical expression ever.

"Hiiro!" he yelled at me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I told you."

I went back out to the kitchen, leaned against the counter, and ate my bagel calmly. Maka and Cody sat at the table across from each other, eating cereal like nothing happened. Soul stormed out of his room, his head and shoulders dripping water. I swallowed my last bite and went back to my room.

There would be no need for my jacket today, or my knee highs. Just my white skirt, hi-tops, and blue sweater. It was a good thing the sleeves only went to my elbows. I brushed out my hair, and pulled it all back into one long braid. It was too hot to just leave it down.

When I went back out, Maka was back in her room getting dressed, and Cody was finishing his breakfast. When he saw I was out of our room, he got up and went in himself. That left Soul and me alone. After I had just pissed him off. In the kitchen. Where there were knives and other pointy and sharp objects. He glared at me, and I glared back.

"I'm mad at you." Soul grumbled.

"I can tell." I told him. He scoffed and turned his head away. "You can't tell me it didn't feel nice after a night's sleep in the heat of Hell." I said.

He smirked vaguely. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

I smiled triumphantly. Then, he pulled his shirt over his head, and toweled his hair off. I found myself staring at his scar. But I looked away as he glanced at me. Soul laughed a little when he saw me rocking back and forth on my heels shyly. He shook his head, and went back to his room.  
"Don't you dare go back to bed" I called after him.

"Not a chance anymore!" he called back.

I giggled to myself. Maka came out a second later, a smile on her face. My head tilted to the side, and a questioning smirk pulled itself across my lips.

"What's got you so smiley, Maka?" I asked.

She smirked back, a knowing look in her eyes. "Oh, nothing…"

I rolled my eyes, still smiling. Cody appeared then, and ruffled my hair. I fixed it, and punched his arm lightly.

"Don't touch my hair, Cody!" I scolded.

He chuckled and shook his head. Another hand came down onto my head, and tangled my hair. I squealed and wrapped my arms on top of my head. I hated it when people touched my hair when I have it done. Even if it's just a simple braid.

"Jeez, you sure are weird about your hair." a voice told me.

I spun around, and punched Soul harder. "Hey! What was that for anyway?"

"I call it _revenge_." he told me in a husky voice.

It sent shivers down my spine. But I just glared at him and said, "I could do better."

He raised his eyebrows. Revenge was definitely in my vocabulary. It just so happen to be something I'm rather good at. Cody smirked, and Maka rolled her eyes.

"C'mon. No time for that now. We gotta get to school." I told him with a wave of my hand. And so, we left.

**In Class**

I drummed my fingers on my desk. Twenty minutes into class, and Stein just wasn't there. The least he could've done was send a substitute. But no. It was just a classroom full of weapons and meisters, and no teacher or instructor of any kind. I thought Sid should've been there, or Spirit or Miss Marie. Anyone! Trust me, I was okay with some free time, but it was difficult getting Soul up, and I was bored. Suddenly, the P.A. crackled to life.

"Students of Class Crescent Moon; class will be delayed by an hour due to the lack of an instructor. Professor Stein is busy, and we do not have a replacement at the moment. Please do not do anything too reckless. That is all."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. What could Stein be busy with? Some sort of mission for Lord Death with Spirit? I hoped so. With some spare time on my hands, I walked out of the classroom. I only got so far when somebody grabbed my arm.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Where are you going?" Cody asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "For a walk, I guess. You wanna come?"

"Nah. But I think I'll go talk to Kid a little bit, though. He's back in the classroom."

I nodded. "Okay, see ya in an hour I guess."

"Yeah, see ya."

He turned around and went back to class, and I kept walking. I wandered around aimlessly, and found myself at the top of a set of stairs. A smirked appeared on my face, and my neck made my head tilt slightly.

_Just a walk, eh? Seems like my feet are missing someone from the dungeons,_ I thought to myself. With that, I started down the stairwell into darkness lit just by candles on the wall.

_**A/N…**_

_**Hey! Well, it's rather obvious who Hiiro's feet are missing, huh? Anyway, this is a question for all my viewers out there! How many of you know Ouran High School Host Club, raise your hands. And those of you who didn't raise your hands, check out the anime, it's GREAT! It's only twenty-six episodes long, so you can watch it quickly. So, how would you guys feel about me writing a fanfic for it? It'd have my OC in it. I've already written the first two chapters, and I'm working on the third RIGHT NOW! If you're interested in it, lemme know. When/if you read it, read the "A/N…" at the top.**_

_**Reviews keep the gears turning, and my fingers typing! Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	16. I Can Take Care of Myself

**In Class Crescent Moon**

"Hey, where's Hiiro?" Maka asked Cody.

He turned to her. "She said she was just going for a walk around the school. Looked like she was headed for either the Death Room or the dungeons though."

Soul's head snapped up. "What? The dungeons? Why would she be going there?"

Cody shrugged his shoulders. "Exploring, I guess."

"Maybe she went to see Crona." Maka suggested.

Soul's eyes widened. Without warning, he jumped out of his seat and bolted out the door.

**The Dungeons**

_Hiiro's POV_

The only sound was my feet pulsing the ground, and my shallow breaths. I came to the hall with the room I was looking for. A smile spread across my lips as I knocked on the door to the room. I heard shuffling on the other side.

"Wh-who is it?" a meek voice came.

I opened the door. "It's me, Hiiro."

"Oh, um…"

I shut the door behind me, and searched for a light. "Don't worry; I won't freak out this time."

"Promise?"

I found the cord, and yanked just as I said, "Yes, I promise."

As the light flooded the room, I saw him sitting on his bed with his back against the concrete wall. I smiled walked over to him. His shoes sat next to the bed, one knocked over. I slipped off my hi-tops, and crawled onto the mattress. He recoiled as I plopped myself right next to him.

"I promise, it won't happen again. Okay, Crona?"

He shook faintly. "O-okay."

I smiled. Crona tried to smile back, but his lips wavered. I giggled, and his smile became real. I wondered if I'd ever see that smile for myself. And I did.

Unexpectedly, there was a pounding on the door. Crona flinched and curled himself into a little ball.

"Crona! Crona, is Hiiro there?" Soul's voice came out worried. I couldn't blame him.

I patted Crona's head lightly, and went to open the door. When I did, Crona lifted his head a little to see who it was. Soul's eyes were wide with fear, and his hand was posed like he'd just been holding a knife; raised high, and his fist clutched. I just stood there in the doorway with a blank look on my face.

Soul made some sort of choking noise, and I blinked. Finally, I lowered his fist for him. His expression softened. Then, I looked back over my shoulder at Crona. He was on his hands and knees on his bed, staring at us. I turned back to Soul, and gestured for him to come in.

"Don't scare me like that!" was the first thing he said when he entered the room.

"What do you mean?" I asked a little angrily.

"Why would you come here without telling anyone?"

"I told Cody!"

"Does he know about your little episode?" he yelled.

I lowered my head, and hid behind my bangs. "No…"

"Exactly. Nobody would know what to do with you if you went crazy again."

My head snapped up. "Do with me? _Do with me?_ I'm not some sort of—of _object_! I can take care of myself! Now Ragnorak and Crona know what happens to me, and now I'd be expecting it! I promised Crona it wouldn't happen again, and I keep my promises!"

Soul crossed his arms. "I understand that. But you need to tell me next time."

I put my hands on my hips. "Whatever I do doesn't concern you, Soul."

"Bull crap! _Everything_ you do concerns me!"

"Oh and why's that?"

"Because I'm supposed to-"

He stopped himself short. "What are you supposed to do?" I asked impatiently.

"I—I can't tell you…"

My face went red with anger. I grabbed his arm roughly and stomped over to the door. I threw it open, and yelled, "Get out!" and pushed him out the door.

"Hiiro, I-" he started, but I slammed the heavy door in his face.

I crossed my arms again and pouted at the door. After a few seconds, I heard him walking away. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Hiiro?" Crona said.

I turned, and uncrossed my arms a little. "Hmm?"

"Why are you so angry at Soul?"

My arms dropped, and my expression softened. "Because… because he's treating me like a child."

"No he's not." Crona shook his head.

I walked toward him, my bare feet padding against the floor. "What do you mean?"

He gestured toward me. "I mean, Soul's not treating you like a child. He's trying to protect you."

**Later that Day, After School**

"I can protect myself…" I mumbled as I kicked a stone that was in my path.

My head lowered, I walked along the street. I didn't want to go back to the apartments, but I didn't have anywhere else to go.

"Hey!" a voice broke my thoughts.

I looked up. There was a girl with choppy green hair that fell to her chin, and another girl with orange hair with the same cut. Their arms were crossed defiantly, and their faces read _fight me_. The green-haired one stepped toward me.

"Yeah?" I asked, annoyed.

"You're that new girl at the academy; training with Sid."

"Yeah." I repeated.

"We heard you were pretty good. Let's find out for ourselves!"

I rolled my eyes. "You girls wanna fight? Fine."

I held up my arms, and my blades came out. I took my stance and waited for a moment. The girl with orange hair held out her hand, and the green-haired one nodded, then turned into a mallet with spikes on the side. Orange ran at me, with the hammer raised. She brought it down, and I blocked with one of my blades.

"Is that it?" I asked.

Orange growled, and swung again. I dodged easily, and kicked her down to the ground.

"Sid's lessons are the best, ya know?" I informed her, and then punched her cheek.

She got back up and cradled her face with her free hand. The green one appeared in the mallet.

"Lena, use Soul Resonance!"

Orange—Lena—nodded. The two glowed, and then, suddenly, the green one's spikes got longer and more menacing. The staff grew a spike on the end, too.

"Crap." I muttered.

Lena smirked, and pulled the staff up. Fortunately for me, the spike caught on the ground, causing Lena to fall onto her back, and let go of the green haired girl. I took this opportunity. Swiftly, I kicked the mallet-girl away from Lena, then I grabbed her arm and pulled her up to her feet. Without hesitation, I pinned her arm to her back, and held on of my blades to her throat.

"Yeah, I guess I'm pretty good. Now, I've had a rough day, so leave me alone."

Then I dropped her, and she fell to the ground. The mallet glowed, and she was in human form again, assisting Lena. I retracted my blades, and turned to walk away.

Not even five minutes later, someone grabbed my shoulder. I grabbed their wrist, and spun them around to face me. Expecting Lena and her weapon, I was surprised to see it was Soul. I let go of him as my face fell.

"What do you want?" I asked grumpily.

"To make sure you were okay."

"Well, obviously, I'm just fine."

I swerved and walked round him. but he just stood in front of me again. "You shouldn't get into stupid fights like that, Hiiro."

"Oh so now you're spying on me?" I put my fists on my hips.

"No!"

"Then how-"

I was interrupted by a growl. I turned around, and saw a man with really dark red hair wearing all black; black muscle shirt, black pants, black shoes. He had little black bat wings jutting out from his back. A kishin.

All of a sudden, Soul grabbed my wrist and pulled me backward towards him. I held onto one of his arms to steady my balance. Then, his other arm was transformed into the blade of his scythe-form and held in front of my waist protectively.

"What the hell?" I yelled at him. "Lemme go!"

"I can't! I'm supposed to protect you!"

I struggled to get free from his grip. "Says who?"

"Lord Death!"

I stood frozen for a moment. But just a moment. I ducked under Soul's blade, and made my own come from my forearms again. "I can take care of myself!" I told him.

Then, with one strike, I killed the worthless kishin, and quickly crammed the egg into my mouth. I didn't savor the moment like I normally would. I was too upset. The egg went down my throat, and I turned to Soul again. He stood there, looking at me like something was wrong. I sighed deeply, then left for the apartments, leaving Soul behind.

_**A/N…**_

_**Hello! So, I've gotten enough notice, and I'll be posting the Ouran High School Host Club right after I post this. So, pretty much, it's up now for you to read. It's entitled 'Unexpected Expectations'. That's all!**_

_**Reviews keep the gears turning and my fingers typing! Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	17. According to Plan

Showers distress-ify me. The water just calms me down. It fell in little droplets down my bare back and shoulders, soaking me to my bones. As I scrubbed the conditioner into my scalp, I thought about the night's events. They seemed like no big deal. Until I got to the most recent one. The memory rang through my mind like the loudest bells ever.

"_I'm supposed to protect you!"Soul had shouted._

"_Says who?"I retorted._

"_Lord Death!"_

"_I can take care of myself!"_

_Then, I left him to himself, and came back to the apartments._

I stopped mid-rinse. There was no reason for that not to be a big deal. All my life, after anime and on, I've wanted to be best friends with Maka and Soul. Yet here I am, fighting with him. Plans don't always work out like they should.

"Hey, Hiiro!" a voice broke my thoughts.

I jumped, and almost slipped. "God, you scared the crap outta me, Blair!"

I heard a giggle on the other side of the curtain. "Sorry!"

I smiled to myself, and continued to rinse out the conditioner. "It's fine. Did you need something?"

"Oh, yeah! Cody told me your birthday's coming up."

"Hey, it is. So what's up?"

"I wondered what you wanted."

I turned off the water, and reached through the curtain and grabbed my towel. As I wrapped it around my body, I said, "You don't need to get me anything, Blair."

"I know, but I want to! You're my friend, remember. I'm good at picking out gifts, but I'm not sure what kinda things you like."

"Oh. I don't really know." I told her as I stepped out. She was lying on the sink, paws stretched out.

"C'mon. You have to want something." I thought for a moment, my finger pointed on my chin. "Don't you and Soul both like those graphic novels or something? Or those Japanese cartoons?"

My head shot up. "Oh, yeah." I smirked to myself. "There's been something I've wanted to check out. Look for the graphic novel first. This kind of graphic novel is called a manga."

"Manga?"

"Yeah. Mah-in-gah. Manga."

"Okay! What is the manga called?"

"If there's no manga, get the anime. Anime is a Japanese cartoon. It's called _Realm_."

"Oh, I remember that!" Blair's head tilted to the side, her cat smile almost impossible seeming. "Soul was watching that the night before you showed up. He and Maka were arguing about how he watched it too much."

"Really?" I asked as I started getting dressed.

"Yeah! I understand why you'd want it, the main character has your name; Hiiro Rerumu."

**A Few Hours Later**

I managed to avoid Soul the entire day, somehow. Probably because Cody and I spent the entire day outside of the apartment. But, then Cody asked if I wanted to play basketball. I said yes, but this involved changing my clothes. Which involved going to the apartments. I hadn't thought about this at the time, because kicking Cody's butt was all that was on my mind. So, we went back to the apartment to change. I went in before Cody, and picked out a pair of blue jeans held up by a purple belt, and a turquoise shirt that slipped off my left shoulder over a purple tank top. My hi-tops stayed, of course, and I tied my hair back in a braid.

"Alright Cody. See ya in a few."

"Okay."

He went in as I came out. I waited at the kitchen table for a minute, and then I heard a door open.

"You ready to go?" I asked as I stood.

"Go where?"

I froze, then turned slowly. Soul stood in front of me, hands in his jacket pockets coolly. I swallowed.

"I—I thought you were Cody."

He shrugged. "I'm not, sorry."

I shifted uncomfortably. Saved by the bell, Cody came out and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's go, Hiiro."

"Kay." I turned towards the door, and twisted the knob.

"Where you guys going?" Soul asked Cody.

"Basketball court." he replied nonchalantly.

"Oh, cool."

I threw the door open, stepped into the hall, and ran down the stairs to bottom floor of the complex.

**Twenty Minutes Later: the Basketball Court**

"What was all that about?" Cody asked me.

"What do ya mean?" I responded, tossing him the ball.

He caught it, and passed it back and forth between his hands. "I mean, with you and Soul."

I caught the ball as he threw it to me, and dribbled a few times. Then I tossed it into the basket. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Whatever. C'mon, Hiiro. You were acting pretty weird. All you ever talked about back in Ohio was finding this place, and hanging out with Maka and Soul, Kid and the Thompson sisters, and sparring with Black Star and probably winning."

I sighed and hung my head. "Yeah, I know… Things don't always go according to plan."

Cody walked over to me, and lifted my chin with his finger. "Don't be upset. You can fix this. I'd help, but I'm not sure of what's going on."

I smiled. "Thanks, Co."

"Anytime, Scar." Cody smiled back and embraced me in a hug.

"I'll fix this tomorrow. As of now, we have a game to play."

**At the Apartments**

_Maka's POV_

I walked out of my room to see Soul sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. My hands held behind my back, I leaned over the arm of the couch.

"Hey, Soul. What's wrong?"

"Hiiro. She knows now. She knows Lord Death told me to protect her."

I straightened up, and took a seat next to him. "So?"

"So, she's not happy. She's completely furious at me. For trying to protect her."

I patted his shoulder, and he turned his head to me. "I think you need to catch her when she gets back tonight and have a talk with her."

"I dunno. I don't think Hiiro's in the talking mood."

"Oh well, she'll just have to listen."

He smiled at me, and I smiled back. "Thanks, Maka. For a nerd, you always know what to do."

I hit him with a pillow, and laughed. He laughed back. "No problem, Soul. You're my partner. We're supposed to be there for one another."

"Yeah, we are."

I held out my arms, and I gave him a hug. He hugged back, and tugged on one of pigtails. I smirked and flicked the back of his head.

"Hey!"

I giggled, and hit him with a pillow again. "Don't forget to be calm when you talk to Hiiro. Tell her what's going on, kay?"

"I got it."

"Good. You hungry?"

"Always!"


	18. Final Exams

_Blair's POV_

I pawed my way through the street, looking for a specific store. Just around the corner sat a quaint little shop. It wasn't very packed; only four or five customers. There was a puff of smoke, and I felt my body stretch and shift into human. I fixed my hat and walked into the building that had 'Inky Pages' wrote on a sign in the window. The man at the counter had a thick afro. He smiled crookedly.

"How may I help you, miss?" the man asked me.

I smiled. "My friend's birthday is coming up., and I'd like to get to get her a graphic novel."

He beamed and slid out from behind the counter. "What kind?"

"I think she said it was a mah-in-gah."

"We have plenty. Any specific one you're looking for?"

"Yeah, it's called _Realm._"

Afro-guy grinned again, and gestured to the back. I thanked him with a flirty wave and followed the signs. Sure enough, there was a huge section of books that were read backwards. They were lined alphabetically, so I strolled down to the 'R' section. There were so many mangas; I was surprised to see people would actually more than ten. I grabbed the very first book of the _Realm_ series and went up to the register. I pulled a long face and tapped the cover of the book shyly with a pink nail.

"I don't think I have enough money…"

Afro-guy smiled sympathetically. He gingerly patted my hand. "I think we can work something out. I—I'll have my boss take it out of my paycheck."

My ears perked up underneath my hat as I smiled brightly. "Okay, thanks!"

I paid him about half, and left.

When I got back home, Maka, Hiiro and the boys were already at school. I put the gift in a bag and hid it in the closet.

**At the DWMA**

_Maka's POV_

"Alright, class," Professor Stein said, "it's that time of year again: final exams."

I smiled confidently while everyone else groaned. Last year, I had top score, placing Ox Ford in second. It was reversed from the year before. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cody and Hiiro exchange a few words, and thought about how Hiiro may have already known this. Cody might have too. There's just no telling anymore. And who knows what all Soul knows about Cody and Hiiro.

"Hey, Maka," Kid called to me, "Do you think you'll place first again?"

"Totally!" I replied with a huge grin.

"Yeah right! Maka's smart, sure. But not as smart as me." Ox butted in.

I glared at him, and was about to give him a good Maka-chop. But Hiiro slammed her hands on her desk and stood up. She looked pissed. "If you're so much better than Maka, then how come she's a higher-ranking meister than you? Or that she totally dominated your butt in last year's exam? Oh wait! Or—or that Maka can beat you any day in a sparring?"

I looked at her dumbfounded, along with Soul, Kid, Liz and Patty, and Tsubaki. Black Star didn't seem to notice, and Cody just sat there, arms crossed and a smug look on his face. "If you think that for a second you're any better than Maka, you are highly mistaken."

Ox smirked. "I can still out-smart Ma-"

He was interrupted by Hiiro, who had hit him hard on the head with a random pair of chopsticks. It made a loud cracking noise, and even I winced. Ox held his head, but it didn't hide the bump that was forming.

"Excuse me, but, I think not." Hiiro stated, fist on her hip and twirling the chopsticks threateningly.

I smiled at her. She noticed and smiled back widely.

"Settle down now, class." Professor Stein announced. "I advise you all to start studying for the super-written-exam ASAP. Let's hope this year there will be no cheaters," I glared at Soul, then turned my attention back to the professor "or anybody sneaking into my office. I have not made up the questions this year. I left that up to Miss Marie."

There was a cheer from the class. It was no secret that Miss Marie was a loved teacher. She had gotten her job back after the defeat of the kishin Asura. She may be silly and slightly ditzy at times, but when it comes down to it, Miss Marie is very smart and can handle tough situations. Therefore, she is perfect to make up the questions for the super-written-exam.

"So start studying tonight. The super-written-exam will be given to you on Monday."

_Okay, today's Wednesday. That gives me one, two… six days to study. That should be plenty!_ I thought.

"Good luck to you all. Class dismissed."

**One Hour Later**

_Hiiro's POV_

I had a lot to think about. Last night was… rough. It gave me a headache and zero tolerance for the next day. So I attacked Ox. With chopsticks. Zero tolerance, see? Plus, he had no right to be critiquing Maka like that. I had finals to study for, but I just couldn't think of anything but last night. What had happened was, after I'd almost lost to Cody, we had gone back to the apartments. It was pretty late and getting dark.

"Go on up, Cody. I'll be there in a minute." I told him. He nodded and did as I instructed. Now by myself, I stood in the glowing light of the vending machine. It took my dollar as I punched in the code B-16. The machine thunked as my bottle of Pepsi fell to the bottom. I reached in and grabbed it, then climbed the stairs to the apartment. It was finally dark when I got upstairs. The door was silent opening and closing, except for the faint _click_ the lock made. Cody was already in bed. He probably wasn't asleep, but he was in bed. I shuffled around in the kitchen a little, then was about to go to bed.

"Hiiro?" a voice called from the darkness.

"Who's asking?" I asked the voice, following it.

"Me."

The voice led to the couch. I sat down and turned on the lamp. The yellow glow revealed I was sitting next to Soul, who had been the source of the voice. I sighed deeply.

"Listen, we need to talk." Soul told me.

"About?"

"Last night.

"Oh. Yeah. I guess we should, huh?"

"Yeah. So… I'm sorry about what I said, and not telling you."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "I mean, Lord Death telling me to protect you, and me not telling you about it.

My eyes widened. "So, he really _did_ tell you to protect me?'

"Yes. And I know you're a good fighter and everything, but you don't know everything about combating."

I blushed. "You think I'm a good fighter?"

"Yeah…" he blushed, too.

We sat there for a moment. Then I said, "I forgive you."

"Really?" I nodded. "That's cool. And you'll let me protect you if needed?"

"If _needed_. Not if I'm battling a kishin, or visiting Crona. Only if I'm in serious trouble."

Soul nodded. "Yeah, okay."

I smiled. "Okay." I got up and turned off the lamp. At my door, Soul grabbed my wrist.

"Wait. I—I wanted to tell you that you're one of my best friends. Probably the best. And I'd protect you even if it wasn't Lord Death's orders."

That got to me. Just that one line was the reason I couldn't study. It left my mind wobbly and disoriented. I groaned and slammed my head on the desk in my room. Not my best idea. I cried out, "Dammit!" and clutched my skull. My headache was even worse now. I tried to ignore it, and dug out my books. There was no telling what would be on the super-written-exam, so I needed to study the rest of the week, everyday.


	19. Mickey Mouse

I didn't suspect a thing. Cody was good at being secretive, so that's probably why. For the reason of not expecting anything, I was pretty ticked off at being dragged away from my books. But I couldn't do anything; Cody was much stronger than me. And so, my meister dragged me from my desk, out the door, down the stairs of the apartment complex, and down the street.

"Where are going?" I whined.

"To Gallows Manor." Cody responded.

"Gallows Ma—Cody, I need to study!"

"All you've done since Wednesday night was study. C'mon, it's Saturday! Live a little, would ya?"

I groaned. "Fine."

We walked the rest of the way to Kid's house. When we got there, Cody covered my eyes with his hands, and led me through the halls. He stopped. I heard footsteps approaching, and wanted to see who it was. There were subtle whispers and other people shushing them. Soon I smelled frosting with a hint of smoke. I picked out someone's loud footsteps and everyone telling him to shut up.

"Time to get this party started!' Black Star's voice sounded.

"Black Star, you idiot!" I heard Maka say, followed by a loud _thwack_.

I removed Cody's hands from my eyes as I asked, "Party?"

It was me, Cody, Maka, Black Star and everyone else in medium sized room. There were colorful streamers hanging (symmetrically) all over the ceiling. Large speakers were placed in the back two corners of the room, and a sound system stood between them. Balloons lined the walls. Ten present boxes and bags sat in front of a table in the middle of the room. A cake with purple frosting and fifteen blue lit candles was in the middle of the table.

"What's going on?" I asked everyone.

Patty skipped over and pulled me next to the table. "Happy birthday, Hiiro!"

I face-palmed. "That's right! Today's my birthday!"

You've been so busy studying you forgot your own birthday? That sounds like something Maka would do." Soul stated, which earned him a Maka-chop.

I smiled. "Thanks, you guys."

"Don't thank us," Kid said. "It was Blair's idea."

Just then, cat-Blair popped out of one of the present-bags. She threw her paws in the air and shouted, "Ta-da! Happy birthday!"

I giggled and picked Blair up out of the bag. She purred softly, and I blushed for no reason. Everyone gathered around me and started singing 'Happy Birthday.' Blair sang the loudest, her head tilting back and forth. My blush deepened. At the end of the song, I blew out the candles on the cake as I said in my head; _I wish I could stay here forever._

"Alright, time to party!" Black Star suggested, cranking up the volume on the sound system.

One of my favorite bands played through the speakers, engulfing me in the music. Blair jumped from my arms and thick purple smoke clouded around her. She emerged a moment later, in human form, wearing a knee-length purple dress with a sweetheart neckline, matching gloves, and a pair of black heels. She wore no hate, her cat ears pricked high, tuning into the singer's voice and the bass that had just dropped. She spun herself in a circle on one foot, amber eyes shining brightly.

"C'mon, Soul! Dance with me!" Blair called.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him to her chest. His nose bled instantly. Maka was laughing so hard, I thought she might double over. I couldn't tell what Black Star was doing; it kind of looked like dancing, but then again, it seemed like he was having a seizure. Tsubaki stood next to him, watching with an odd, but knowing, smile. And then there was Kid and Liz and Patty, weirding me out with some sort of symmetrical dance. Cody tapped my shoulder. I turned to him.

"Happy birthday, Scarlet." he whispered.

I smiled. "Thanks. Happy birthday to you."

I reached in my pocket and played tug-of-war for a moment with my red skinnies, then pulled out a black cord with a gear charm on it that had the outline of Mickey Mouse inside the gear. Cody smiled, and then it melted into a smirk. He gently took it from my hand and fastened it around his neck. The charm fell just below his collar bone.

"When did you get this?" Cody asked me.

"A couple days after I got this." I pointed to my soul necklace.

"That explains it."

"Explains what?"

His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, you'll see…"

I rolled my eyes. "Fantaaastic."

**30 Minutes Later**

I took a bite of my cake. It was my favorite: marble. The icing tasted sweet and creamy. I swallowed and licked my fork clean. Everyone sat in a semi-circle around me, Blair in cat-form in my lap. Black Star tossed me a black bag that had dark blue tissue paper sticking out of it.

"You'll probably like our present the best." Black Star told me. Tsubaki smiled sweetly. I smile back and dug through the tissue paper. My hand grasped something wood, but also glass and some sort of velvet. I pulled it out. A picture frame, inside, a picture of Black Star, Tsubaki, and everyone else, including Crona. Black Star had signed it in black Sharpie, and so did Tsubaki, her handwriting loopy and delicate. I smiled.

"I love it. Thank you, Tsubaki and Black Star." I told them, and passed it around for everybody else to sign.

Maka handed me a box wrapped in red paper. It ripped it open, and gently lifted the lid. Inside was a pair of designer chopsticks tied together by a white ribbon. It wasn't much, bet yet it was. I smiled widely.

"Oh my god. Maka, I love them."

"I thought you might."

I nodded, and Cody dangled another bag in front of me, a smirk on his face. I jerked it from his hands, and dug through it. Whatever was inside jingled, and felt cool against my palm. It was a necklace. A long link of chains made of the cord, and a gear hung on the end. In the center of the gear was a little silhouette of Mickey Mouse. It was the match to Cody's necklace. Smiling, I looped it over my head. The necklace was so long, I didn't have to unlatch it, moving onto the next present, I didn't say a word.

The box had a pink wrapping paper with white polka dots. _From: Patty! _was scrawled on the side in purple marker. I looked to her; her lips stretched from ear to ear, and blue eyes sparkling with excitement. I tore the wrapping off, and lifted the lid off the box. Inside was a stuffed giraffe.

"Turn it over!" Patty told me. I did. On its other side, 'Hiiro' was stitched in bright purple letters. The giraffe had a collar on it, and empty line on one side, and 'From Patty' written on the other.

"You can name her yourself!" Patty said.

"I love it. I think I'll name her…" I grabbed the Sharpie and held the tip to the line. "Yuri." I told Patty as I wrote the name on the blank line. Patty clapped her hands loudly. Li handed me a purple box with no wrapping paper. I opened it and saw three different perfumes, and five bottles of nail polish. Very Liz-esque. I thanked her anyway, and moved on.

After several more presents, there was just one left. The one Blair popped out of earlier was handed to me. I pulled out all the tissue papers, and reached in. A book came out with my hand. To be exact, a manga. _The _manga, actually.

'Realm' was printed in jagged cursive letters towards the bottom. An animated boy with shaggy blonde hair and pale, pale blue eyes stood, holding a shiny black pistol with the barrel pointed upwards. He wore a blue crewneck with a gray blazer, regular jeans, and black boots. The animated boy stood back-to-back with a brunette girl. Her hair was tied up in a choppy high ponytail that reached her mid-back. She wore a red tee that was ripped at the shoulders, and random rips and tears all over the front, showing a seemingly black undershirt, a pair of denim shorts over a pair of black and white striped tights, and a pair of black hi-tops. The girl wielded a double-bladed scythe with purple blades and bandages wrapped around the silver-gray staff. The rips on her shirt seemed to make a shape that resembled a Mickey Mouse silhouette. A long link of chains wrapped around her neck. It appeared to be flying out toward the edge of the cover near the pages. Some sort of gear was on the end of the chains. Another Mickey Mouse silhouette sat in the center of the gear.

After a minute I realized: the girl on the cover was me, and the boy was Cody.

_**A/N…**_

_**Dun, dun, duuuun~! What do your think will happen? Anyway, sorry for the lack of story, I was away at camp. But I'm back now! So enjoy this chapter and such.**_

_**Reviews keep the gears turning, and my fingers typing. Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	20. Weapon Merge

_Soul's POV_

Hiiro seemed completely unfazed. She'd accepted Blair's gift sweetly, only fingering her gear necklace in recognition. When I saw her necklace, I'd been lost in thought until she thanked me for my present. Maka had initially picked it out, as I had no idea what she'd want. In the end, Hiiro seemed to accept the fact of _Realm_.

_Hiiro's POV_

It was a change. Neither bad nor good. Just a change. Combining Soul and Maka's gifts was a perfect idea. Instead of my hair down with a small braid, I tied my hair up in a choppy ponytail and stuck my new designer chopsticks in. And I swapped my old outfit for Soul's gift; white dress that had a pleated white skirt and blue collar, blue knee high socks, a red tie, and blue cuff bracelets. For once, I decided to go with a different pair of shoes; black boots that went to my mid-calves with gold buckles at the bottom. My soul necklace was slightly hidden by the collar, and my gear necklace concealed by the tie.

"Hiiro, c'mon! Lord Death wants to see the four of us, so we have to get to school early!" Cody called through the door.

"Alright!" I responded, rummaging around in my backpack.

I pulled out a special armband that I'd made after my surprise party. Not wanting to wear it just yet, I tucked it into my left boot. One last look in the mirror showed my dress was sleeveless and only covered the top of my shoulders, and that it fell to my mid-thighs. Then, I was ready.

**The Death Room**

"Maldur is a very tough kishin. But I believe the four of you can handle it." Lord Death told us.

Maka and I nodded. Soul seemed cool and relaxed, Cody's face was set with determination.

"Yes, Lord Death. Thank you." Maka said. We turned to leave, but Lord Death called out to me. Maka and Soul went ahead, and so did Cody, but he hesitated. I gestured for him to go, and so he did.

"Yes, sir?" I asked.

"Hiiro, it has been brought to my attention that your birthday has recently passed, and that your friends threw a party for you."

"That's correct."

"First of all, happy belated birthday. Second of all, did you receive anything… Mmm… interesting?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. My tie, if anything."

"What's interesting about your tie?"

"Oh, um," I started "Nothing really. Just the little swirl t the bottom." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"Mm-hmmm. Well, you best get going now. Goodbye, Hiiro."

"Bye, Lord Death."

**A Little While Later**

I folded into myself, light covering my transformation. Quietly, I fell into Cody's hands. He caught my staff with no trouble. The light broke, revealing my weapon form as the double-bladed scythe I sm. The bandages around the center of my staff billowed in the wind where the excess binding was.

Through my blade I saw Maka already had Soul transformed. She and Cody walked confidently through the streets, ready for a fight. I couldn't help but think of one of the mission plaques back at the school, a white ribbon laying across it, and 'working' written on it. It was our plaque, our mission.

Maldur, the kishin we were fighting, had orange, shaven hair. His jaw was line with stubble, and he wore a stained wife beater, jeans, and working boots. The kishin stood in the middle of the street, licking his lips in satisfaction of his meal. It was going to be his last.

"You, kishin Maldur!" Cody shouted. The man turned to him. "You're done eating human souls. We're here to take yours!"

Maldur smiled evilly. "You can have it, boy. Only if you can get it."

I felt Cody's soul, so close to mine, gain a boost of confidence. Maka stood next to him, ready for battle. He two meisters readied their more-than-ready weapons, and the bloody battle began.

**One Hour Later**

I screamed, and transformed back to human mode before I hit the ground. I fell on my knees, then quickly got to my feet and ran over to Cody. He lay under a tree, blood leaking from his arm. Moments earlier, Maldur had pulled a knife out on Cody. Now, with the crimson liquid pooling around him, I knelt down and brushed the hair from his eyes. Acting on instinct, I tore a piece of fabric from his shirt and wrapped it around his wound. His chest rose and fell. I knew Cody was unable to fight, it was obvious, and I had to fight in my own. My eyes were prickling with tears, and I got to my feet. My forearms sprouted blades.

"Hiiro!" Maka called. I looked to her. She held Soul with a death grip and lashed at the kishin. "Resonate with me!"

Soul appeared in his blade, and, in unison, we both said "What?!"

Maka shook her head. "Trust me!"

I inhaled sharply and nodded. My eyes slid closed, and I searched for Maka's soul. Finally, I found it. Mine hooked onto her's, and I went back into weapon form. Her soul was already resonating with Soul's. So, instead of becoming my own scythe, I sank into Soul's. There was an enormous illuminating glow, and another blade sprouted from the bottom of his staff. Bandages formed and wrapped around the bottom of the original staff, and around the new purple blade. The darkness that surrounded me when I was in weapon form had another glow to it besides mine. Soul. He saw me, too, and I was once again thankful for the bandages around my chest. He gave me a questioning look, and I shrugged my shoulders. The two of us appeared in our separate blades.

"Maka, what is this?" Soul asked her.

She strikes at the kishin. It seemed like a purple stream of light had followed. The two stood still for a moment, then blood lined Maldur's arm. Maka smiled grimly. "This," she said, "is Weapon Merge."

_**A/N…**_

_**God, I am so sorry for the delay! I'm just a little behind on my writing lately. I'm on a swim team that practices everyday in the middle of the day but Friday and the weekend. I use that as family/ friend time. I'm writing as much as possible, honest! Give me a week tops for each chapter, okay? Thanks, loves!**_

_**Reviews keep the gears turning and my fingers typing! Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	21. Light Explosion

Maka swung at Maldur with illogical force. I used as much of my strength as possible in weapon form. He had to pay for hurting Cody as bad as he did. He could have a scar as bad as mine. Maldur's soul would be mine. Soul turned to me, his face slightly discontent. I nodded, and then appeared in my separate blade.

"Maka! Soul Resonance!" I shouted.

She nodded, then took a step back from Maldur. Soul took my hand and closed his eyes as I did. In perfect harmony, the three of us synched our souls and yelled, "LET'S GO, SOUL RESONANCE!"

The biggest light explosion I'd ever seen happened, and mine and Soul's shared weapon form changed again. The staff became darker, the blades longer. My bandages became metal and now had sharp edges. A single black jagged line danced across my blade until it reached the edge. A matching blade glided out of the staff directly next to mine, and another next to Soul's. Finally, the transformation was complete.

Maka smiled widely, and jabbed at Maldur. He barely missed, and flipped back. Still holding the newly formed weapon, Maka cartwheeled, and then did a round off. She stuck the landing easily, and slashed through the kishin. His face wore a look of shock for a second, and then he disappeared. Soul Resonance wore off, and then I went back into human form. Soul followed suit. Growling, I snatched the kishin egg from its spot, and chewed it. Maka went to Cody, and I followed on her heels. Soul lingered by himself, running a hand through his colorless spikes. She sat Cody up, and I cradled him in my arms. He coughed, and I smiled to see him still alive.

**Hours Later**

I paced the floor with my hands behind my back. Then I stopped in front of the door, went to knock, and started pacing again. It was dead silent, so much that I could hear his shallow breathing on the other side of the door. At least he was breathing. My head bent down, I could only see my bare feet on the hardwood floor. Suddenly, there was a pair of boots in front of my feet. The owner of the boots placed their hands on my shoulders and stopped me. Sighing, I looked up.

Maka stood in front of me, sympathy written on her face. Without warning, her arms were around me, our bodies pressed together in a hug. After a moment of shock, I gently settled my hands between her shoulder blades and hugged back.

"I'm so sorry, Hiiro. But I know he'll be okay." she told me.

"Maka," I started. She pulled away from me. "I want to see him. But I'm afraid he's going to wake up."

She smiled and let out a soft giggle. Maka opened the door and took my hand. She led me in, and sat me down on a chair next to his bed. He seemed to have a little more color than the last time I'd seen him. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his messy hair covered one of his eyes. I smiled warily and moved the hair away. Maka patted my shoulder, and left the room. Subconsciously, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"You'll be okay, Cody. You lost a lot of blood but Soul gave some for you. You're arm is fine, and it'll barely have a scar. The smallest thing ever." I whispered to his sleeping form.

He shifted around, and I felt pressure on my hand. I looked down, and saw his hand grasping mine. Wide eyes, my head lifted itself up slowly. Cody stirred again, and then opened his pale blue eyes.

"That's good news. I thought I'd have a huge scar. Then no girl would ever talk to me." Cody smiled, and laughed lightly.

I smiled widely. "Not true. They'd think you were cool and a bad-ass."

"Really?"

"Ha, yeah."

It was silent for a moment, then I stood and dropped his hand. "I'll bet Maka wants to talk to you. She'll be impressed-"

He looked away as he told me, "Impressed by what? How easily I was knocked out?"

Puffing out a breath, I turned his head back to me. "No. By how much it took for Maldur to get you down. And how strong you are already."

"You think so?"

"Yes. In fact, I'm going to get her."

With that, I turned around, the skirt of my dress spinning with me for a second, and opened the door. Maka leaned on the arm of the couch, waiting. She lifted her head when I came out. My hand extended, she smiled and went in to see Cody.

_**A/N…**_

_**Hey, guys! Sorry it's short, but there's not much else to add to it. One more week, and there'll be another chapter.**_

_**Reviews keep the gears turning, and my fingers typing! Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	22. The Gym

Cody was all better, his wound healed over well. So I made a day for us to train by ourselves in the gym at the academy. He agreed it would be a good idea. So I pulled on my black tee and red jeans, shoved some water and my purple D.C. jacket and bandage wraps in a duffel bag, and called Soul. He appeared in my doorway, hands in his pockets.

"Hey, can you take me down to the school?" I asked him.

"What for?" he answered, following me to the living room.

"I'm going to the gym. Cody's gonna meet me there."

"Sure, I guess."

We left the apartment building, and I waited out front for Soul to get his motorcycle. When he appeared, I smiled widely at the bike. He smirked, and gestured to the back. Grinning still, I held onto his shoulders and climbed onto the seat. Soul revved the engine, and we sped off.

**At the Academy**

I walked down the halls of the school, remembering the directions Soul had given me. After a while, the gym doors came into view. I set my bag down on a bench and unzipped it. The bandages were wrapped around my hands and now bare feet. My t-shirt came off and sat in the bag. Now I was only in my jeans and the bandages covering my chest. I left my hair down, and took my bag to a small hallway of lockers. Halfway through, I shoved the bag into a locker, and started training, waiting for Cody's arrival.

**Later That Day**

I had been there for about two or three hours. There was no sign of Cody. He never texted, he never called. Finally, I threw my jacket on over my bandages, gulped down some water, and dialed Cody's number.

"Great, voicemail… where the hell is he?" I mumbled to myself.

Rolling my eyes, I went back to the narrow walkway of lockers. I shoved my phone and bottle of water into my bag, and pulled it out. Just then, someone grabbed the collar of my jacket and threw me against the other side of lockers. My head hit the metal doors hard and I began losing focus. Against my own will, I slid down to the floor and clamped my arms over my head. Through blurry vision, I saw a man standing over me, dressed in dark clothes. Finally, I lost all consciousness.

_Black Star's POV_

The gym room was empty when I walked in. I had been hoping for a fight with someone, but it was okay. A large punching bag stood swinging. Somebody had been there recently. At that time, I heard something crash against the back room lockers. I ran to see what it was. A dark man stood over a girl that was sitting limply on the floor.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I called to him.

He spun around quickly, a startled look on his face. I wasn't surprised. I mean, who wouldn't fear the all mighty Black Star? "Just, um, taking my, uh, daughter home…" he stuttered.

I took a step forward. Behind him, I got a better look at the girl's features. It was Hiiro. Anger crossed my face. "That's _not_ you daughter!" I declared.

The man smirked. "Listen, you, just go away and pretend you never saw anything."

"Not happening!" My fist collided with his gut, then his face. I swept my leg under his and he fell to the floor. The man got up, looked at me, then Hiiro, and ran off in the other direction. "What a baby…" I mumbled, crouching down beside Hiiro. Time to get her home.

_Hiiro's POV_

"Hey! Wake up!" a voice shouted at me.

They grabbed my shoulders and shook me. I felt my jacket fall around my wrists and I pulled my knees to my chest. Rubbing my head, I opened my eyes. Black Star came into view. His hands were on my bare shoulders, a look of somewhat-concern on his face.

"Uhn, Black Star…?" my voice wavered. He slid his hands down my arms and I felt my skin tingle. His hand touched mine but only for a second. The send Black Star's and my hands touched, I flung my arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you for saving me," I whispered to him.

"It's just something a big guy like me would do." he replied.

My skin tingled all over again when his fingers touched the edge of my bandages around my back. I let go and crawled over to my bag. Black Star helped me up and I slung my bag over my shoulder.

"I'll walk you home." he told me.

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine."

But as I took my first few steps, my feet just about gave out under me. Black Star rushed over and caught me.

"There's no way such an amazing guy like myself can let you walk home in such a weak condition all alone." he informed me.

Black Star left no room for argument. I sighed as he took my arm and draped it around his shoulders. There was a jolt of electricity as Black Star's hand connected with my uncovered waist. He slid his hand downwards, causing me to shiver. I got scared for a moment, but then he grabbed my jacket and pulled it up over my shoulders. I looked at him through the corner of my eye. He looked back.

"All your shivering was making _me_ cold…" he declared.

"Black Star why are you so-" I started as we walked out the gym doors.

"Amazing? Godly? I'm not sure." he interrupted.

"I was gonna say arrogant."

Black Star ignored the comment and we kept walking.

**At the Apartment**

"Thanks, Black Star." I said one last time.

"Like I said no problem." Black Star replied.

Still hanging onto him, I opened the door. The boys were watching TV and Maka was making dinner. Black Star let go of me, and I did the same. As I took my first steps in, I collapsed on the chair. Soul jumped out of his seat and ran to my side. He took one look at me and his nose started to bleed. I pulled my jacket on tighter and he turned to Black Star.

"What happened?"

"She-"

"I fell down and hurt my leg. No big deal." I interrupted Black Star.

The look in my eyes told him everything. I didn't want Maka and Soul to be worried. Cody, on the other hand, deserved to feel bad.

_**A/N…**_

_**Hello viewers! I just wanted to inform that I will not be posting anything for about two weeks tops. Sorry, but I'll be going on a family vacation. But a chapter will be posted the moment I'm able to!**_

_**Reviews keep the gears turning, and my fingers typing! Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	23. Give it Back

I was supposed to have class today. Oh well! I ended up skipping out and heading to the library. However, what I was looking for…would take hours to find. The library was basically a large room of bookshelves, a few tables and desks, and about fifty giant stacks of books. When I went to the information desk, there was a sign that read _Gone to Lunch- Be Back in an Hour!_ With a loud groan, I went to the shelf with information on weapon types, special skills, and Soul Resonance techniques. There was no telling if what I was looking for was in any of those books. So I pulled out ten books, give or take a few, and stacked them on the floor. With a deep breath and all my strength, (Yes, all of it. Those books were heavy!) I hefted the stack up, and tucked it under my chin so it wouldn't fall. I took the books to the nearest table and sat myself on top of it. With that, I started flipping through pages and books.

**Hours Later**

Time passed. I changed my position. I laid on my back and read, I sat crisscross, I laid on my stomach. I read on the floor, on top of a bookshelf, book pile, on the chairs, but mostly on the table. My mind was crammed with the history of weapons and battle techniques. I had one book left, and it was my last chance. Maka already knew about the ability, and knew how it was done. She told me it was her first time attempting it, though. But if she knew about it, how it could not have been in any of the books? Finally, the last chapter: _Weapon Merge_.

The book explained how it was done. But that wasn't important. I wanted to know exactly what it was. How it worked. Techniques that go with it. I followed along every word, sentence, paragraph. It was different for every weapon. The ability had to be done with two weapons, and a meister. A third weapon could be added to the current trio, but adding another person the weapon mixture was rather tricky. Weapon Merge cannot be used for different types of weapons. For example, a gun, such as Liz or Patty, couldn't merge with a scythe, like me or Soul. Different battle elements or abilities harmonize with different Weapon Merges. Guns have an ability called "Smoking Wavelength," in which if the meister and said weapons resonate properly, they are able to use a sort of smoke bomb affect that dazes the enemy and gives them a chance to, well, gain the upper hand. A lot of the techniques work very similarly to Soul Resonance. Which is available to perform during Weapon Merge.

"Hey! Why weren't you in class?" a voice asked.

I jumped in surprise. Slamming the book shut, I looked up and answered, "I was doing research."

Kid stood in front of the table, hands in his pockets. His amber eyes gazed at me with question. "On what?"

"Weapon Merge. When I asked Lord Death, he told me it was difficult to explain. So I took some class time for…this."

I stacked all the books back up again, and left the one I was using on the table. I tucked them under my chin like before and put them all back on the shelf I got them from. Kid followed me silently. Ignoring him, my body placed itself back on the table, and my eyes stroked the words with deep concentration. There was only silence and the sound of breathing. Suddenly the book was ripped from my hands.

"Give it back, Kid!" I shouted, jumping off the table.

"You're from a TV show. An anime, in fact."

My eyes widened. "No I'm not! Soul thinks the same thing… we just happen to look alike… and have the same name."

"Blair got you that manga for your birthday. It was for the anime. Cody got you that necklace," he grabbed the gear, "The girl on the cover wore the same necklace."

"So what?"

"So… I know who you are."

"I know you too. _You're_ also from an anime, and a manga."


	24. Home Sweet Nothing

I piled my things in my backpack one by one, my cheeks flushed from holding back tears. Cody was already done, and sat on his bed, staring at the floor. I gingerly lay my purple jacket on top of everything, and zipped up my bag. My score sheet from the super-written exam laid on my nightstand, an 83% written and circled in red ink at the top. It was folded up and shoved in the front pocket of my bag. Cody stood up, and placed himself in front of me. He crossed his arms defiantly. I mimicked him, and looked up, his height having a good advantage over mine. However, I was older.

"Can't we just-" he began.

"No." I interrupted. I knew he was going to ask if we could try living here. No way would our parents let that slide.

"But, Scarlet what about-"

I felt heat rush to my face and tears stream down my cheeks as I screamed, "Don't even go there, Cody! I don't wanna leave anymore than you do! And I know you only want to stay because of Maka, so just tell her how you feel, make out with her, and get it over with!"

His shocked expression stung my eyes, and I squeezed them shut. Tears leaked through my eyes anyway. A raw feeling clawed at my stomach, and I wanted it out. My knees caved under me, and I fell to the floor. The rawness stuck, and I did the only thing I could think of to get it out.

I screamed.

The whole time I kept thinking, _God, why am I being so ridiculous and dramatic about this?_ Arms wrapped around my shoulders. I wanted to push Cody away, and shove him out the door and lock it. But I felt too weak.

When I was done bawling for no good reason, I stood up and fixed the skirt of my dress. I heard the door open, and shut. Soul and Maka's voices followed. Cody swallowed, and I knew he was going to do it. He gave me this look, and I nodded. We both left our room and Cody sat on the couch. Maka and Soul seemed to sense something was up. They sat next to us, a question lingering on their faces. I glanced from Cody to Maka, and then at Soul. If Cody had the courage to do it, so did I. I abruptly stood, grabbed Soul by the collar of his jacket, and dragged him out the door. Before leaving Maka and Cody alone, I called to him, "I'll text you when I'm ready. Don't forget my bag. Oh, and do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Don't screw up."

With that, I slammed the door and told Soul to follow me.

**At the Park**

My pace was faster than his, but I didn't bother to slow down. We passed the basketball court, and wound up in an area made entirely of trees. Soul called for me to wait up, but I kept going. We weren't far enough yet. A minute passed, and we still weren't far enough. But I felt a hand grabbed my wrist and pull me backwards.

"What the heck is going on?" Soul asked me.

"I-"

"You've been crying." he noted, looking me in the eye. I looked down. "Did—did Cody hurt you?!"

"No! I just—well… Cody and I are… we're going home today."

I knew he knew what I meant. But he must have denied it. "Home?"

"To Ohio. Home."

Soul looked hurt. Like he felt betrayed. "But… Hiiro… I don't want you to leave."

I smiled for a second. My thoughts raced to Maka and Cody, and I wondered how it was going. It should be fine, but who knows? Cody tends to chicken out sometimes. That made two of us. I wanted to just leave it at that, and meet Cody at the airport. But that wouldn't resolve anything. It would actually do just the opposite. I told him I didn't want to leave either. Or ever for that matter. Soul smiled lightly. It was time.

I clenched Soul's jacket in one hand, then reached up and held a piece of his hair by his ear. His eyes widened as mine squeezed shut, and I caught his lips with mine. He squeezed my elbow in shock. After a few seconds, I pulled away and apologized.

"Sorry. I've just wanted to do that for the longest time. Now was the time."

As I was about to leave, Soul yanked be back by my shoulder. Before I could protest, or even utter a word, his mouth connected with mine.

"Never apologize for something nice." Soul whispered.

_**A/N…**_

_**Yes, this truly was the last chapter. But, you, yeah **_**YOU,**_** have the choice for an epilogue! If I receive either two urging reviews or four regular ones asking, I'll post an epilogue. It would kinda be a filler, but still some other things. And if you want an epilogue, what do ya want in it? Your choice! Oh, and, another surprise! Wait for it… wait a little longer… one more second… *drum roll* I'M MAKING A SEQUAL! If ya don't like it, don't read it. And to thank you all for being such great readers, I'll make you all something special. You'll receive it after said epilogue.**_

_**Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


	25. EPILOGUE

**Several Months Later: Summer Break for Scarlet (Hiiro) and Cody**

(You, little viewer person, you have to, **HAVE TO**, read the "A/N…" at the end of this. And you have to read **ALL OF IT**)

I sat on top the counter with a mischievous grin on my face. It seemed like no time passed since I was last here. Except it did. Cody had gone to the library to meet up with his "not-exactly-'cause-I-never-actually-told-her-how- I-feel" girlfriend. Did I have a boyfriend? Oh, yeah. Two in fact. But I'd broken up with both of them before school ended. The first asked me out right after spring break. We lasted three weeks before I found out he had been twisting his tongue around some chestnut-haired girl's mouth. The second asked me out through Cody, and various notes in my locker. Well, he was sweet, but didn't treat me like his girlfriend. Needless to say, I am single at this point in time.

The door to the apartment opened, and I leaned back on my hands. My one and only albino friend walked through the door casually. He didn't even notice me until I said, "Hey, Soul."

"Hi, Hiiro," he replied, glancing at me sideways.

Suddenly, Soul did a double take, and grinned widely. He ran to the kitchen, and almost tripped over the table. I giggled and hopped off the counter. He immersed me in a hug, and gave me the once over.

"You haven't changed a bit, Hiiro."

"Same. Except, maybe, you got a little taller."

"When—how did you get in here?"

I held up my copper piece of entry access in reply. "I still have my key to the apartment."

**A While Later**

I checked my watch. Cody's been gone for an hour and a half. A smile crept up on my face. That meant he's probably on a date or something with Maka. Even though he totally chickened out months ago before we left for Ohio. I told Soul about my theory.

"Yeah, right. Maka's never been on a date before, except in between the pages of her books," Soul commented.

I couldn't help but laugh. That was probably true. "Same for Cody."

Soul watched me as I eyed the door. It was nice talking to him, but I wanted to see everyone else. During spring break, I never got my fight with Black Star. I really missed Crona. I owed Kid an apology, and Patty a sleepover, and Liz a conversation that didn't start with "Nice to meet you." I had three days to get everything done. Cody was gone, so no fight. I wanted Maka to take me to Crona this time, and she wasn't around. So that left me with Kid, Liz, and Patty.

"It's been the best thing ever seeing you again, but I need to catch up with everyone else. Cody'll probably be back here with Maka. Tell him I went to Kid's," I told him as I grabbed my backpack and stood up.

"Uh… well… okay…" Soul said, frowning at the floor.

I nodded as I opened the door. It felt like I should have added something before I left, but I didn't know what. So I ran back in, hugged him quickly, and left. It felt…not quite right. Like it was close, but something more. But what could be more than a hug besides a kiss? I haven't forgotten our goodbye kiss from my last visit. But he had to be over it. I was over it… Kind of, anyway.

When I got to Gallows Manor, I took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. After a minute, it creaked open and Kid appeared. I smiled at him, and he showed no expression.

"Hiiro. You're back," he deadpanned.

Frowning, I replied, "Yeah, for a few days."

He nodded, and gestured for me to come in. We walked down several halls to another living room. Liz sat on the couch reading a magazine, and Patty was on the floor, coloring a picture on the coffee table. She looked up from her crayons, sprang to her feet, and ran towards me. "Hiiro! You're back! Yay!"

Smiling again, I hugged the small blonde girl. Liz peered over her magazine and smiled a little at me. I smiled back at her, and parted from her little sister. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kid giving me this look that was almost a glare. Sighing, I took him by the arm and pulled him into the hall. The Thompson sisters shrugged and went back to their earlier business.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I… shouldn't have lashed out. Or really said anything… probably. And I'm just sorry. Please top being mad at me," I told him quickly.

And then. Kid smiled. "I accept your apology."

**Later That Day**

I adjusted my backpack, and kept walking. Maka walked along side me, smiling the whole way. Cody stayed behind to hang out with Soul for a while. Our feet echoed on the concrete ground, and off the concrete walls. Finally, we reached the heavy black door. We smiled, and pushed the door open. The room was dark, as usual. Maka said hello, and the light filled the room. Crona stood under the bulb, smiling at us. I stepped forward.

"You're back!" he remarked.

"Of course I am. I'd always come back whenever I'm able to," I told him, opening my arms slightly for a hug. Crona stepped forward tentatively, and fell into my arms. Maka came towards us and hugged us both. Crona released me and clung to the blonde. They parted, and Maka asked, "Did you miss Hiiro?"

"A little. She's so nice to me, like you, Maka! And she-" he looked over at my terrified eyes. They were begging him not to tell her about my black blood. "Um, she has long hair, and I like it."

**The Next Day**

Cody and I raced each other to building. It seemed to be made out of stones. The boy and his weapon stood outside waiting for us. Halfway to the doorstep, I transformed into weapon mode. Cody caught me and kept running. The raven-haired girl transformed too, and the young assassin grabbed her and charged at me. Finally. My fight with Black Star.

He and Cody swung at each other and did some damage. But still, we were getting nowhere. A while after we went back to Ohio, Cody and I still trained ourselves. Maybe two months ago, we mastered the best skill advantage. Yes, I mean—

"LET'S GO, SOUL RESONANCE!" Light covered me, and I became more powerful. My bandages looped themselves all around my staff and blades, becoming silvery metal instead of the gauzy fabric they normally were. My blades bent themselves in a sort of flame pattern. The knot in the center of the bandages stretched, and took on a knife shape. "SOUL BINDER!"

**THE END**

_**A/N…**_

_**I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the reviews. Especially the ones from last chapter. Like, seriously, you guys had me near tears. They made me feel like I'm a good writer. And if I have that many good reviews for a fanfiction, I wondered how many I'd get for an original story… Lemme know if you guys want one, and I'll probably post it on Wattpad. And, I have a question for my dearest of all readers! You all know what Hiiro looks like, no? From all her costume changes and whatever else you wanna call them. I am setting up a contest; I need one of my lovely viewers to create a sketch/ painting/ drawing of her in all her different outfits. You will receive the prize of your choice out of; an OC appearance in said sequel and a chance to co-author any fanfiction for Soul Eater or Ouran High School Host Club, or anything else you can think of.**_

_**Her costumes include:**_

_**Original clothing; red skinny jeans, black tee, grey bunny hoodie, and black hi-tops. Hair is just down, and always reaches her hips. She had bangs on the right.**_

_**Most often appeared in; **__**A plain blue sweater that just barely showed her shoulders, white mini-skirt, blue and black striped knee highs, and black converse. Hair is down with a small braid to the left.**_

_**Spiritual Dimension; a black blouse with a maroon and white striped corset over top, a black petticoat skirt that dropped to her mid-thighs and brown boots with black laces that went just above her knees, and maroon fingerless gloves covering them. Hair was curled and tied back up in partial bun, partial ponytail. Her bangs were curled at the bottom.**_

_**And her "Spartoi Uniform"; a white dress that had a pleated white skirt and blue collar, blue knee high socks, a red tie, and blue cuff bracelets. Her shoes were black boots that went to her mid-calves and had gold buckles on the bottom. Hair was in a high ponytail and had chopsticks sticking out. Take note that her tie is the Spartoi tie, with the little swirly thing on the bottom.**_

_**And, for bonus points, her basketball outfit; a pair of blue jeans held up by a purple belt, and a turquoise shirt that slipped off her left shoulder over a purple tank top. Her hi-tops stayed, of course, and she had tied her hair back in a braid.**_

_**If you only do one of her costumes, you only receive the OC in the sequel, and it will be a brief cameo. I will announce the winner on my bio/profile page on this website. That's all! Until next time, my dears!**_

_**Love with bunnies,**_

_**~Winter Rose**_


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